Cricketers coming out to bat despite sustaining injuries is nothing new to the game. Like South Africa’s Graeme Smith against Australia in the 2009 Sydney Test or Tamim Iqbal in the Asia Cup 2018 against Sri Lanka, players have often shown courage and selflessness by returning on the field even with broken arm/finger.
Both of the above instances took place in international matches and hardly had anyone expected to see Kerala batsman Sanju Samson to come out to bat with a broken finger on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Gujarat on Wednesday.
The wicket-keeper batsman was hit on right-hand and his ring finger was badly hurt in the first innings while he was facing Rush Kalaria’s delivery. He had to get retired hurt for 17 then but in the second innings when the home team was almost down and out at 163/9, without having any concerns for his broken finger, Samson arrived on the pitch to join Jalaj Saxena and the pair added nine runs for their team.
The 24-year-old stayed there and faced nine deliveries bravely before the umpire raised his finger after an LBW appeal by left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who had hit Samson’s bat. Although he got out for a duck, his act of bravery drew praises from everyone.
Here’s the video:
https://twitter.com/NaaginDance/status/1085555815321427968
Kerala defeated Gujarat by 113 runs on the third day and reached to the semi-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
