'Take a bow Mandeep Singh', says Suniel Shetty; cricketer hailed for knock post tragedy

It’s hard to put personal battles aside for professional reasons, but cricketers playing in the Dream11 Indian Premier League have put a brave front in the wake of tragedies. Punjab player Mandeep Singh recently lost his father and Kolkata’s Nitish Rana’s father-in-law expired, but both took to the field and fulfilled their roles for the team. On Monday, as Mandeep Singh played an important knock, celebrities also showered praises on him.

READ: 'Hats Off': Tendulkar Praises Nitish Rana, Mandeep Singh For Playing Amid Family Tragedies

Mandeep Singh hailed for emotional knock

Two days after the death of his father, Mandeep Singh saw Punjab through against Kolkata with an unbeaten knock of 66 off 56 balls. The opener’s partnership with man-of-the-match Chris Gayle (51 off 29 balls) was crucial in Punjab chasing down the target of 150 in 18.5 overs. 

More than his stylish knock that included eight fours and two sixes, celebrities like Suniel Shetty and Zakir Khan hailed his spirit. 

READ:Gayle-Mandeep Duo Takes Punjab Into Top Four In IPL 2020, Defeat Kolkata By 8 Wickets

The Hera Phera actor shared a photo of photograph looking into the skies, and wrote that his dad had blessed him from above. He exclaimed, ‘take a bow.’

Stand-up-comedian Zakir Khan reacted to a news report, wrote, ‘People work hard and make numerous sacrifices to reach their target. This statement has been in my mind since yesterday.” He expressed his condolences to Mandeep Singh and congratulated him on the knock.

Screenwriter Aniruddha Guha was overwhelmed by the moment when Chris Gayle spoke about the Mandeep’s loss, and then told his father he loved him. He wrote, such moments made ‘the IPL an annual event to cherish.’

Mandeep's father Hardev Singh had passed away of prolonged illness. The cricketer participated in the last rites while a video. 

"This was very special. My father always used to tell me you should remain not out in the game. This one is for him," Rana said in the post-match interview.

“This one is for him. Even if I scored a double hundred or a hundred, he used to ask me, 'Why did you go out?', so I am very happy that I could remain not out in this game,” he added. Previously, Nitish Rana had also dedicated the knock to his father-in-law

Previously, Sachin Tendulkar, who had also scored a famous World Cup hundred after his father’s death, had also praised Mandeep for his spirit. One of the owners of Punjab team, Preity Zinta had dedicated the team’s previous win to Mandeep’s father. 

READ:Mandeep Singh Wins Hearts On Twitter For Playing Dream11 IPL Game On Day Of Father's Death

READ:Nitish Rana Dedicates Fiery Knock Vs Delhi To Father-in-law, Holds Up Shirt In His Memory