In the heart-pounding clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan during the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup 2023, KL Rahul not only etched his name in the annals of cricket history with a remarkable century but also won the hearts of fans and fellow cricketers with a touching act of sportsmanship.
The Super Fours encounter between India and Pakistan was highly anticipated by cricket enthusiasts around the world. Although the rain had disrupted the original schedule, when the match finally began on the reserve day (September 11), it did not disappoint.
India’s dominance on the reserve day
Resuming their innings at 147/2, India posted a formidable total of 356 runs without losing any further wickets. Virat Kohli and Rahul were the standout performers for the Men in Blue, both notching brilliant centuries.
In response, Pakistan’s innings stumbled, and they were eventually bundled out for just 128 runs in 32 overs. Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 27 runs, while Agha Salman and Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 23 runs each. However, their efforts fell short, and India emerged victorious by a huge margin of 228 runs. Kuldeep Yadav was the star among the Indian bowlers, bagging a sensational fifer for his team.
Also READ: Athiya Shetty pens an adorable note for KL Rahul after his ton against Pakistan; Ayushmann Khurrana and other celebs react – Asia Cup 2023
KL Rahul’s heartwarming gesture towards Agha Salman
While Rahul’s stunning century stole the spotlight, it was also a small yet heartwarming gesture from the Karnataka-born cricketer during the game that won the hearts of the fans.
Rahul’s act of sportsmanship came when Pakistan batter Agha Salman found himself in a precarious situation after sustaining a painful blow near his eye while attempting a sweep shot against the spin wizard Ravindra Jadeja. The impact was severe, and Salman began bleeding from the injury.
Keeping the wickets for India, Rahul exhibited his concern for the injured Salman and instantly walked up to the batter to check on his condition and ensure that he was okay. The images and videos of Rahul’s kind gesture spread like wildfire on social media and cricket forums, earning widespread praise from netizens.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Agha Salman bleeding after the ball hit near his eyes.
Great from KL Rahul to instantly check on him! pic.twitter.com/SDwbjMTJ92
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 11, 2023
Great gesture from KL Rahul when Agha Salman got injured ❤️#INDvsPAK #AsiaCup23 #BabarAzam #IndiaVsPakistan #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/YANuRI8TV6
— Shahzaib Shaukat (@zaibshaukat23) September 11, 2023
Agha Salman bleeding after the ball hit near his eyes.
Great from KL Rahul to instantly check on him!#INDvPAK #PAKvIND #Asiacup2023 pic.twitter.com/dK5DJMGSg8
— Virat18Perfect🕊️ (@shivang_so20265) September 12, 2023
I liked how the Indian wicketkeeper- KL Rahul instantly went up to Agha Salman all concerned as blood dripped out of Salman’s face. #INDvPAK #INDvsPAK
— Mehwish Shahid (@MehwishShahid) September 11, 2023
Nice gesture from KL Rahul.
When the ball hit, he straight to go Salman Agha and checking him. pic.twitter.com/sZvZjxlvwx
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) September 11, 2023
Agha Salman, ball hits his face and got 🩸. Nice gesture from @klrahul #HappyBirthdayNamjoon #INDvPAK #IndiaVsPakistan #colomboweather #AsiaCup2023 #PAKvIND #DrNandiphaMagudumana #iPhone15 #pakvsind2023 #Pushpa2 #PushpaTheRule #LeoAudioLaunch #moyolawal #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/Un5jw9Oact
— S-G-D-0-1-2-0 (@SELVA0120) September 11, 2023
Salman Agha got hurt and how quickly KL Rahul checked on him❤️. pic.twitter.com/O922Iwhfp2
— Namra Khan 🕊 (@Namra_Khann) September 11, 2023
When Agha salman got hit by ball from jadeja only kl rahul went to see him that show character of cricketer, not by kohli, rohit @cricketworldcup
— Kaif (@ahmad49gmailcom) September 11, 2023
KL Rahul straightaway went to Agha Salman and asked him about the injury, what a gesture by KL. #INDvsPAK #PAKvIND #pakvsind2023 pic.twitter.com/rA9QjvRbgU
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) September 11, 2023
Hope Agha Salman Is Fine, That’s Not Looking Good It’s Bleeding, That’s Dangerous Yaar Should Wear Helmet, Good To See Kl Rahul Checking Him ❤️#INDvPAK #PAKvIND pic.twitter.com/TXvazTRq6Y
— ‘ ɴᴏᴛᴇʙᴏᴏᴋ📘🤙🏻 (@NehanNotebook) September 11, 2023
Agha Salman bleeding after the ball hit near his eyes. 😨#INDvsPAK #KLRahul #ViratKohli #BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/bYiLVNh9rr
— Aena 👑🔥 (@aenakhan715) September 11, 2023
Also READ: Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar unveils what hindered his quest to become the greatest pace bowler in history
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