Kings’ XI Punjab lost the match against Rajasthan Royals on September 27, but the match saw a mind-boggling fielding effort from its Trinidadian player Nicholas Pooran. What made the fielding marvel special was the story of Pooran’s comeback, which is an example of a sportsman’s resilience and ability to bounce back from the greatest lows of his career.
Going for a flying ball pulled by Rajasthan Royals’ batsman Sanju Samson, Pooran put forth an example of aerial fielding from the deep mid-wicket. He flung himself over the boundary and saved runs for KXIP by deflecting the ball back to the field of play. The move that made him look like Superman has been hailed as the greatest save of all times in cricket. Even cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar have lauded Pooran for his excellent fielding instincts. Looking almost miraculous, the close save from Pooran is proof of his cricketing abilities and flexibility.
The match might have gone in favour of the Rajasthan Royals, but Pooran managed to steal the Royals’ thunder with this one fielding instance. It is worth mentioning that Sanju Samson who was at the crease during the save had also attempted something similar to Nicholas in IPL 2017.
Pooran is a Trinidadian wicketkeeper and batsman who was introduced to the world of cricket as a prodigious cricketing talent in 2012. In the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, he played as the vice-captain of the West Indies team and was one of their star performers on the crease and behind the wickets. His 143-run innings against Australia in the same tournament was hailed as the most memorable tournament in the Under-19 World Cup history and was the highest score of the innings.
In the following year, Pooran suffered a personal and career setback when he was involved in a road accident that left him with severe ankle and knee injuries. He was bedridden for almost half a year and could not even walk unassisted. He underwent two major surgeries, went through rehab, and slowly regained his strength to practice again. A comeback looked far off the road. His national comeback was slated three years later in 2018, but it seems like the return of the talented player and excellent cricketer was not complete till September 27, 2020.
From being restricted to a wheelchair to flying across the boundary for a spectacular save, the final chapter of Pooran’s comeback was written on the field of IPL 2020.
His nearly impossible fielding is proof of his dedication to the sport of cricket. Pooran had signs of being a great cricketer since his initial cricketing years and the KXIP- RR match was the perfect stage for witnessing the emerging player’s athleticism and cricketing instincts.
Pooran’s amazing comeback to cricket is an example of pure talent and sheer determination that has fused to power the rise of a wounded phoenix from its ashes. It reaffirms the belief that true talent can be suppressed but cannot be stolen from the deserving.
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