Remembering Phil Hughes: 5 years since the Australian batsman passed away

November 27 will forever be a dark day in cricket history as the date marks the tragic demise of Australian batsman Phil Hughes. Hughes was hit on his neck by a Sean Abbott bouncer in a Sheffield Shield game on November 25, 2014. He lost his life to the sustained injuries two days later. Cricket Australia posted a photo of Hughes on their Twitter in remembrance.

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Phil Hughes: Forever in our hearts

Cricket Australia posted a photo in which Phil Hughes smiled as he walked back into the pavilion. The post commemorates the passing away of Hughes which happened on November 27, 2014. Hughes was playing a Sheffield Shield game for South Australia against New South Wales when he failed to connect with a Sean Abbott bouncer and got hit on his neck (in an area which was not protected by his helmet).

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Hughes passed out on the field and was immediately taken to a medical centre where medical procedures were performed on him followed by an induced coma. The world prayed as the horrific injury trended on social media with the video of Hughes getting hit going viral. Unfortunately, millions of prayers seemed to go in vain when Hughes lost the battle and passed away on November 27.

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63 not out

Hughes was batting on 63* when the tragic accident happened. Since then, the term "63 not out" is fondly used in his memory with multiple players even sporting stickers of the same on their bats. Cricket Australia retired his ODI shirt number 64 in tribute. His Australian Test cap number '408' was used as a symbol of his memory too. If Hughes was alive, he would have turned 30 on November 30, 2019. Hughes' best friends in the sport used different methods to cope with his loss. Matthew Wade even got a tattoo of Hughes on his right arm to forever cherish his memory. Hughes' death prompted a redesign of cricket helmets and enhanced the focus on player safety. 

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