From Virat Kohli to MS Dhoni - Top 5 Instances of Sportsmanship on Display in Cricket

On Day 1 (February 5) of the first Test between India and England being played in Chennai, Indian captain Virat Kohli came to the aid of his England counterpart, Joe Root, when the latter was down with cramps towards the end of the day’s play. Kohli went up to Root and helped him stretch his leg. Soon, Kohli was lauded on social media for his gesture and sportsmanship spirit.

#SpiritOfCricket at its very best 😊😊#INDvENG @Paytm | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/vaEdH29VXo

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2021

Courtney Walsh refuses to run out Saleem Jaffer

In one of the best examples of upholding the spirit of the game, West Indies great Courtney Walsh refused to run out the non-striker who had backed up too much. The batsman in question was Saleem Jaffer, the No. 11 batsman for Pakistan. In the match, Pakistan needed 2 runs to win, with just 1 wicket in hand. It was a crucial World Cup match in 1987. Walsh’s refusal to run out the non-striker cost West Indies a place in the World Cup semi-final — the first time in the then brief history of the World Cup that the team hadn’t made the semi-finals or finals of a World Cup.

Daniel Vettori overturns umpire’s decision

This incident happened in a match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Vettori accidentally collided with the non-striker Malcolm Waller, which didn’t allow the batsman to take a single. However, the striker at the other end had by then already come half-way down the wicket, which resulted in him being run out. But,Vettori immediately indicated to his players and the umpires that the incident had happened because of his collision with the batsman. So, he allowed the batsman who was run out to continue batting. Vettori got the ICC Spirit of Cricket award in 2012 for this gesture.

M S Dhoni calls back Ian Bell

This happened during India’s tour of England in 2011. In the Test at Nottingham, England batsman Ian Bell was adjudged run-out after a confusion. In the last ball before tea, England batsman Eoin Morgan played an Ishant Sharma delivery on the leg side. Praveen Kumar, the fielder, put in a dive to stop the ball from going past the boundary rope. Thinking that it was a boundary, Morgan and non-striker Bell started to walk back towards the pavilion. Just then, Kumar threw the ball back and Bell was run out. The Indian team, well within their rights, appealed. The replays, too, showed that the ball hadn’t crossed the rope. Though the verdict ruled Bell out, Dhoni called him back and allowed him to continue his innings. For this gesture, Dhoni won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade.

Gundappa Vishwanath calls back England batsman

This incident happened in 1980 when Gundappa Vishwanath was captaining the Indian team. In a Test in Mumbai, Vishwanath was fielding in the slips when batsman Bob Taylor was given out, caught behind. However, the Indian captain felt that the sound came from the bat brushing the pad. He asked Bob, and the batsman said he hadn’t nicked the ball. Immediately, Vishwanath spoke to the umpire and made them call back Taylor.

Imran Khan gives Kris Srikanth a chance

In a match between India and Pakistan in 1989, then Pakistan captain Imran Khan called back Indian batsman Kris Srikanth, who was wrongly adjudged LBW to Waqar Younis in an ODI in Lahore. An agitated Srikanth began walking back towards the pavilion, when Imran called him back, as the umpire was forced to change the decision.

• cricket
• ian bell
• India England Chennai Test
• India vs England
• Joe Root
• MS Dhoni
• spirit of cricket
• Virat Kohli
• World Test Championship