New Delhi, May 1: Punjab Kings all-rounder Harpreet Brar, who dismantled the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) strong batting line up with a three-wicket haul on Friday night, takes pride in wearing his turban.
A week back, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner from Moga hit back at a troll on Instagram who compared him to Bollywood star Akshay Kumar from the movie ‘Singh Is Bliing’.
Brar took offence to the comparison and took a dig at the movie star Kumar. The 53-year-old Kumar had played the role of a turbaned Sikh in the 2015 flick that did well at the box office.
“Paaji aap singisbling ke Akshay Kumar dikhte ho (Brother, you look like Akshay Kumar in the movie Singh is Bliing),” wrote the troll on his Instagram account.
Brar was not amused.
“Paise k liye Turban nhi pehnte hum (We don’t wear turban for money)[Emoticon: Folded hands] #isupportfarmers,” he responded on his Twitter account with the screenshot of the question on his Instagram timeline.
This is Brar’s third IPL season but he has played only four matches in his career. Friday’s game was the first in IPL 2021.
It, however, became a memorable one. He scored a 17-ball unbeaten 25 and then removed RCB skipper Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell to put the brakes on RCB’s chase.
Thanks to his all-round show, the Punjab franchise won the match by 34 runs.
Paise k liye nhi Turban nhi pehnte hum ?? #isupportfarmers pic.twitter.com/lghpeG83wB
— Harpreet Brar (@thisisbrar) April 25, 2021
Courtesy: IANS
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Rajkot, Jan 15: Records tumbled like nine pins as the Indian women's cricket team, powered by skipper Smriti Mandhana's 70-ball century, demolished Ireland by a whopping 304 runs to claim its biggest-ever ODI win and complete a 3-0 clean sweep here on Wednesday.
The result of the match was a mere formality once India set Ireland a massive target of 436, and Ireland could only garner 131 before getting bundled out in 31.4 overs.
India put the first step forward towards a crushing victory through record-breaking Mandhana (135, 80b, 12x4, 7x6) and her opening partner Pratika Rawal (154, 129b, 20x4, 1x6), reaching 435/5, highest total by an Indian team — men’s or women’s — in ODIs.
India men's highest ODI total is 418/5 made against the West Indies in Indore in 2011.
Mandhana and Rawal added a whopping 233 runs for the first wicket in just 26.4 overs and there was no looking back.
Then spinners Tanuja Kanwar (2/31) and Deepti Sharma (3/27) took over, sharing five wickets among them to decimate the Irish line-up, which was well short on experience.
Orla Prendergast (36) and Sarah Forbes (41) added 64 runs for a fluent third wicket stand that helped Ireland to recover from a shaky 24 for two to reach 88 without further damage.
But once Prendergast was cleaned up by Kanwar, India were all over the tourists like a bad rash, claiming the remaining seven wickets for just 33 runs.
It also helped India eclipse their previous largest margin of victory (by runs) — 249 registered against the same opposition in 2017 at Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Mandhana’s 10th ODI century came off just 70 deliveries as the left-hander surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur’s 87-ball hundred mark against South Africa last year.
It also set the tone for India breaching the 400-run mark for the first time, joining Australia and New Zealand in that elite list.
Mandhana was in her usual destructive self, and was not afraid to take the aerial route over the 'V' and clear the 30-yard circle.
Pratika complemented her captain brilliantly with a measured knock, making the occasion even more special by notching her maiden international century in her sixth innings.
Pratika relied on precise placement and deft touches in the point region and she showed her aggression only after reaching the ton, hitting Freya Sargent for her first six.
Demonstrating hunger for a bigger knock, she powered her way to an impressive 150 — a perfect blend of composure and aggression.
Their 233-run partnership made them only the fourth Indian pair to record a 200-run stand in Women’s ODIs.
It was also the third instance of both Indian openers scoring hundreds in ODIs, following Reshma Gandhi and Mithali Raj’s feat at Milton Keynes in 1999 and Deepti and Raut’s partnership at Potchefstroom in 2017 -- all against Ireland.
The duo added 90 runs during the Power Play and 67 in the subsequent 10 overs, maintaining a brisk scoring rate.
Mandhana reached her first century of the calendar year with an exquisite drive off Arlene Kelly.
Kelly bore the brunt of her onslaught, conceding successive sixes in one over.
Even Kelly’s variations, including back-of-the-hand deliveries, were dispatched with ease, with the Indian batter following a six with another boundary in the 24th over.
Mandhana also took on Ireland’s leading bowler, Prendergast, smashing her for a boundary down the ground and a towering six over long-on.
Promoted to No. 3, Richa Ghosh also returned to form, making a 37-ball fifty, her fifth in ODIs.