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Cricket PlayersSmriti Mandhana wins hearts with brilliant gesture for wheelchair-bound young Sri Lankan fan after IND vs PAK match
Smriti Mandhana reserved a beautiful gesture for a wheelchair-bound Sri Lankan fan after India's Women's Asia Cup match against Pakistan.
India's star women's batter, Smriti Mandhana, is known for her on-field prowess, but on Saturday, her brilliant gesture for a young Sri Lankan fan won the hearts of fans on social media. Following India's Women's Asia Cup 2024 opener against Pakistan on July 19, Mandhana gifted a phone to a young wheelchair-bound fan, Adeesha Herath, who had come to the stadium to attend the match.
The heartwarming interaction was captured in a video shared by Sri Lanka cricket's official social media handle, earning Mandhana widespread praise from fans and followers.
The video shows Mandhana warmly greeting Adeesha and her mother. The young fan, accompanied by her mother, was visibly thrilled to meet her cricket idol. Mandhana handed over the gift with a smile and posed for a photograph with the delighted duo.
“Adeesha Herath's love for cricket brought her to the stadium, despite all the challenges. The highlight of her day? A surprise encounter with her favorite cricketer, Smriti Mandhana, who handed her a mobile phone as a token of appreciation,” wrote Sri Lanka Cricket as it shared the video.
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Adeesha’s mother expressed her deep gratitude, sharing that their visit to watch the India-Pakistan match was an impromptu decision that turned into an unforgettable experience for her daughter, who idolizes Mandhana.
"We came to watch the match unexpectedly as my daughter wanted to go for the match. We met Mandhana madam from the India team and my daughter received a phone from her. It was unexpected, and my daughter is so lucky to receive this gift from her. I'm so happy and thank you for selecting my daughter as the winner," Adeesha's mother said.
The match between the two arch-rivals was a showcase of India's dominance; India triumphed with a convincing seven-wicket victory in Dambulla, demonstrating a well-rounded performance. Deepti Sharma led the bowling attack with three key wickets, ensuring Pakistan was restricted to a modest 108 runs.
In the chase, India’s opening pair, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, laid a solid foundation with an 84-run partnership. Their aggressive and confident batting left little room for doubt about the outcome, and the team smoothly achieved the target with 35 balls to spare.
