When Bumrah comforted de Kock, he not only helped de Kock recover quickly from that horror, he also sent out a strong message to all of us that the mistakes sportspersons make on the field are always forgivable
The 12th season of the Indian Premier League gave us many memorable moments. From individual milestones to team efforts, there was no shortage of action, emotion and drama in the world's most popular T20 league. But we had to wait till the last match for the 'best moment of IPL 2019'.
The leader of the Mumbai Indians bowling attack, and arguably the best fast bowler in the world at the moment, Jasprit Bumrah, showed us why cricket is called a 'gentleman's game' when he went and hugged Quinton de Kock after the 19th over of Chennai Super Kings innings.
After Krunal Pandya conceded 20 runs in the 18th over, Bumrah was given the job to bowl a tight 19th over so that Lasith Malinga, who had leaked 20 runs in the 16th over, had enough runs to defend in the last over.
Bumrah, as always, ran in hard and bowled as fast he could. He gave away just five runs off the first five balls. After bowling five terrific deliveries, Bumrah bowled a back of a length delivery that went flying past Ravindra Jadeja's bat. It looked like a normal collection for the wicketkeeper, but de Kock made an absolute mess of it and gave away four free runs to Chennai.
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It was a moment that stunned almost every Mumbai Indians supporter. De Kock couldn't believe what he had done and Rohit Sharma was looking as helpless as a kitten up a tree.
Those four runs almost nullified Bumrah's mighty effort and he couldn't believe his luck too. A young fast bowler who is at the top of his game and ruling world cricket with the ball had all the reasons to yell, scream and give those 'typical fast bowler looks' to his wicketkeeper. De Kock's mistake was nothing short of sin at that point of time.
But Bumrah didn't show any of these emotions. Like a true teammate, he went up to de Kock, wrapped his arms around the young South African's shoulders and said something so comforting that it made de Kock, who was in a state of shock, smile.
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Bumrah is just 25-years-old and he understands that even the best can make mistakes. He bowled a no-ball in the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan two years ago that made him a villain in the eyes of a big section of Indian cricket fans.
But, like all great players, he was able to put that behind and stay focused. When Bumrah comforted de Kock, he not only helped de Kock recover quickly from that horror, he also sent out a strong message to all of us that the mistakes sportspersons make on the field are always forgivable. He showed to the world why it is important to stand behind your teammates when they need your support.
It is noteworthy that de Kock showed good skills and presence of mind to run out Shane Watson on the fourth ball of the last over. It was a very crucial moment in the game and one would agree that Bumrah's heart-winning gesture and his support for de Kock played a big part in the latter bouncing back with a game-changing intervention.
We all go through tough moments in life when everything looks dark and gruelling. So, next time if you see a friend or a teammate struggling, try to be a Bumrah to every de Kock.
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