Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has lauded Nitish Rana and Mandeep Singh for turning up to play for their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise despite suffering family tragedies.
On Saturday, Nitish went out to play for Kolkata Knight Riders against Delhi Capitals a day after losing his father-in-law due to cancer. Mandeep, on the other hand, turned up to play for Kings XI Punjab against SunRisers Hyderabad after losing his father on Friday.
“Loss of a loved one hurts, but what’s more heartbreaking is when one doesn’t get to say a final goodbye. Praying for Mandeep Singh, Nitish Rana and their families to heal from this tragedy. Hats off for turning up today. Well played,” Tendulkar tweeted.
In the first match on Saturday, left-handed batsman Nitish played a superb knock of 81 runs in Abu Dhabi. His 53-ball inning, which was studded with 13 fours and a six, helped KKR set a 195-run target for DC which the Eoin Morgan-led side defended comfortably to register their sixth win of the tournament.
After reaching the 50-run mark, 26-year-old Nitish held up a KKR jersey with the name ‘Surinder’ and the number 63 emblazoned on its back. “A heart-warming tribute from Nitish Rana to his father-in-law, who passed away yesterday. Surinder Marwah. Rest in peace sir,” said KKR in a tweet.
For Kings XI in Dubai, Mandeep contributed with 17 towards his side’s first-inning total of 126/7, which they managed to defend against SRH to register their fifth win of IPL 2020.