WATCH: Kusal Mendis Saves Little Escort from Collapsing During Sri Lanka’s National Anthem in Pune – News18

A player escort fell unconscious ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 30. The shocking event transpired when players of both sides lined up in a queue to sing their respective national anthems. While Sri Lanka’s national anthem was underway, a player escort standing in front of Kushal Mendis suddenly fainted.

The Lankan skipper reacted instantly and held the kid in his arms, saving him from collapsing to the ground. A supporting staff from the Afghanistan dugout rushed to the spot and carried the kid away from the field.

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The hot and humid weather in Pune was supposedly responsible for the situation. On Monday, the temperature in the city was hovering around 30 degrees Celcius. Though it is normal for a cricketer to cope with such conditions, the player escort could not bear it.

A clip of the occurrence was shared across social media and went viral. As soon as the post surfaced on the internet, fans wasted no time in appreciating Kushal Mendis for his gesture.

Afghanistan once again pulled off a remarkable performance to secure their third victory in this ODI World Cup. Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and sent Sri Lanka to bat first. The Islanders made a positive start to their innings, with opener Pathum Nissanka continuing his sublime form. But his partner Dimuth Karunaratne failed to stay longer at the crease. Nissanka missed the half-century for just 4 runs but built the foundation for a good score, joining hands with captain Kushal Mendis.

Following the wicket of Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama partnered with Mendis and made some crucial contributions to the scoresheet. While Mendis scored 39 off 50 deliveries, Samarawickrama made 36. After 30 overs, Sri Lanka faced a collapse in batting and eventually were bundled out for 241 runs.

Afghanistan lost the wicket of opener Rahamanullah Gurbaz early in the chase. But the other top-order batters showcased their A-game. As many as three batters- Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai– registered half-centuries, demonstrating their quality.

Afghanistan reached their target in 45.2 overs, notching a 7-wicket win. With the victory, Afghanistan secured the fifth spot in the points table with 6 points in 6 matches.