NEW DELHI: During India’s triumphant win over Bangladesh in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, wicketkeeper Sanju Samson brought some light-hearted fun to the field with his knack for languages.
India secured the series with an 86-run victory, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. However, Samson’s playful encouragement stood out.
The amusing moment took place in the 11th over of the Bangladesh run chase when Riyan Parag was brought on to bowl.Before the final ball of the over, Samson, who had been conversing in Tamil earlier with Varun Chakravarthy, switched to Bengali to motivate Parag.”Khub bhalo!” – which means “very good” in Bengali – echoed from behind the stumps after Mahmudullah took a single, allowing Mehidy Hasan Miraz to take the crease.
Commentator Sunil Gavaskar, entertained by Samson’s linguistic adaptability, laughed in the commentary box, noting the keeper’s Bengali skills.
The strategy seemed effective, as Miraz, who understands Bengali due to its widespread use in Bangladesh, misjudged Parag’s subsequent delivery. Coming down the pitch, he tried to reach a wide ball but ended up hitting it directly to
Ravi Bishnoi at long-off, leading to his dismissal.
In the same over, Parag’s experimental delivery was called a no-ball for an unusual reason. Parag, who was bowling his first over in the 11th over of the Bangladesh innings, attempted to change his bowling style on the fourth ball. He tried a peculiar sling action, reminiscent of former India batter Kedar Jadhav’s wide action. However, this attempt backfired as Parag stepped outside the pitch tramlines, resulting in the ball being rightfully signaled as a no-ball.