Hardik Pandya lauded for being the first in Dream11 IPL to kneel for Black Lives Matter

The 45th match of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League witnessed a tooth and nail fight between Mumbai and Rajasthan. The contest is bound to go down as a memorable one due to some exceptional batting performances from both the participants. Flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya starred for Mumbai and won hearts of the fans not only for the humongous sixes that he smashed but also for a very special reason.

Dream11 IPL 2020: Hardik Pandya takes a knee 

The star player turned the game on its head after a stellar knock that helped Mumbai post an imposing total of 195. The carnage from the cricketer included seven mammoth sixes as he remained unbeaten on 60 runs from mere 21 deliveries. Hardik Pandya, while celebrating his first half-century of the season, took a knee to show his support towards the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. 

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While it may not be the first time that a cricketer has expressed his support towards the movement by taking a knee, it marked the first instance in the Dream11 IPL 2020 where a player addressed the matter on the field. Mumbai's stand-in captain Kieron Pollard was visibly delighted by Pandya taking the knee and sported a wide smile on his face. Fans too acknowledged the incident and praised the cricket star. 

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Mumbai ended up losing the contest after a scintillating century by Ben Stokes and a half-century by Sanju Samson. The duel between the two sides will be cherished not only for the supreme quality of cricket but also for Hardik Pandya. It remains to be seen if other players also take Pandya's lead in the subsequent matches of the competition. Pandya shared a picture of the whole incident on his social media accounts.

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Jason Holder unhappy with players not taking a knee in Dream11 IPL 2020 

Not too long ago, West Indies cricketer Jason Holder, who is currently plying his trade for the Hyderabad side, had expressed his disappointment towards players not taking a knee ahead of their matches in Dream11 IPL 2020. In his conversation with Cricket Writers' Club, he spoke about how he was not too impressed with cricketers avoiding the gesture. The cricketer also cited the examples of Pakistan's and Australia's tour of England, where cricketers chose not to take a knee. 

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Image source: Hardik Pandya Instagram