Picture Credit: Twitter
After Pathan brothers ruled the Indian cricket few years ago, Men in Blue have finally found another fantastic duo of brothers. As Krunal Pandya received his ODI cap from Hardik Pandya in Pune on Tuesday, it would have been an extremely proud moment for the Pandya family. While the whole of Baroda and India applauded, it was indeed an emotional moment for the elder brother.
Also Read: WATCH: Krunal Pandya breaks down after receiving ODI cap from Hardik Pandya
Heartwarming gesture by Pandya brothers
Hardik and Krunal unfortunately lost their father Mr. Himanshu Pandya in January this year. It was a cardiac arrest that led to his demise as the Pandya brothers left off for Baroda as soon as they heard about it. Their father played a huge role to help Krunal and Hardik reach where they are and both the brothers have always been grateful for his sacrifices.
On a day when Krunal and Hardik fulfilled Mr. Pandya's dream of seeing both the brothers playing for India, they paid a special tribute to him. The duo brought the shoes, hat and clothes of their late father to the dressing room ahead of the ODI series in Pune to get his blessings.
Krunal dedicates his emotional debut 50 to his late father
The all-rounder, who turns 30 today, scored a fantastic half-century in his first ODI innings for Men in Blue. He broke the record of fastest 50 scored by a debutant in ODI cricket. Krunal's innings (58* off 31) guided India to a 300+ run total which eventually turned out to be a match-winning knock.
In his interview with Hardik Pandya after the match, the southpaw added that it was a dream come true for him after so much hard work. He dedicated his knock to his late father and said, "I guess somewhere down the line, up there, he must be having a good night today."