5 times an Indian cricketer was left in tears on the field
From euphoric laughs and squeals of joy to cries of anguish and tears, cricket is a sport that evokes emotion in every true sense. Time has documented the same with many a player having expressed his emotions on the field.
Such is the nature of this sport too, isn't it? It's gruelling and taxing, with acute blood, sweat and tears put into it day in and day out. And it all stems out of the sheer passion and love that the players have for this sport of cricket. Isn't that why they started playing it in the first place?
Many Indian cricketers too have shed a tear or more for a number of different reasons - from sorrow to joy.
Here, we look at five such Indian cricketers who were brought to tears on the field at some point during their careers.
#5 Mohammed Siraj
Life has been quite a journey for Mohammed Siraj. From humble beginnings, the fast bowler from Hyderabad has gone on to scale great heights in a short international career thus far, particularly in Test cricket.
It was in T20s though that Siraj received his maiden India cap in the second game of the three-match series against New Zealand in 2017 at Rajkot. As the teams lined up for the national anthem, an emotional Siraj couldn't hold back and shed tears with a lifelong dream having come true.
It was much the same during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 2020, when Siraj received his Test cap. Tears of joy and emotion swept him, more so having lost his father just days after landing in Australia. This sport truly evokes emotion out of a player, doesn't it?
#4 Vinod Kambli
The 1996 Cricket World Cup semifinal between India and Sri Lanka ended on a sour note at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. From a position where the Indian team had a strong foothold in their chase, an alarming collapse saw the crowd lose its patience.
A certain section of the crowd lit a fire in one of the stands, bringing a halt to proceedings. The game was eventually awarded to Sri Lanka with India reeling at 120/8 since the situation just wasn't safe enough to proceed.
Even today, the image of Vinod Kambli walking off the pitch in tears pangs the heart of an Indian cricket fan who witnessed the heartbreak. Having come so close to making the summit clash, a sad end to the campaign and the unruly circumstances around it meant that the Mumbai batter couldn't hold back from shedding tears.
#3 S. Sreesanth
The slapgate controversy of IPL 2008 was one of the earliest controversies that the marquee league happened to witness. Post a match between Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mohali, MI skipper Harbhajan Singh slapping Kings seamer S. Sreesanth hogged all the limelight.
Sreesanth was left shocked and the fast bowler broke down before his teammates came up to console him. While him and Harbhajan patched up soon after, the latter was slapped with a ban from the rest of the season.
Sreesanth and Harbhajan went on to represent India together in quite a few instances across formats, including the successful ICC Cricket World Cup final in 2011. Both have continued to remain on good terms thereafter as well.
#2 Harbhajan Singh
April 2, 2011 - the day India lifted the ODI Cricket World Cup after a long wait of 28 years. Over a billion Indians experienced ecstasy of the highest order while also bringing them down to tears of joy.
It was no different for the players themselves. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was seen crying out of joy and euphoria as he celebrated the moment with the rest of his teammates that night at the Wankhede Stadium. Such was the emotion with that moment, which was arguably the pinnacle of the careers of those involved in it.
Harbhajan was India's lead spinner during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. His best spell was arguably the one he sent down in the semi-final against Pakistan, having dismissed both Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi to set up India's path to the final.
#1 Yuvraj Singh
Tears of euphoria again and this time, it's Yuvraj Singh we're talking about. The swashbuckling all-rounder had the campaign of a lifetime during the 2011 Cricket World Cup and was one of, if not the biggest, forces behind Indian glory.
Of course, nobody was aware of the struggles behind the scenes as Yuvraj was grappling with a life-threatening disease. That he managed to turn in the kind of performances he did during that World Cup despite a tumor in his lungs speaks volumes of his valor and determination that can't be summed up in words.
A fitting culmination to all those efforts came with the World Cup triumph and naturally, an emotional Yuvraj was brought to tears. He was declared the Player of the Tournament for his all-round exploits of 362 runs and 15 wickets.
Also read: 3 Indian cricketers who were involved in controversies.