Asia Cup: Midnight Gesture From India Captain Gives Big Inspiration To Dubai Students Khaleej Times

Long after India clinched a dramatic win over Sri Lanka in the last Asia Cup Super Four game on Friday night, a group of fans were waiting patiently near the Team India bus to catch a glimpse of their beloved stars.

It was midnight and one of them, draped in Indian colours, kept waving the flag, cheering for the team as fans' eyes remained fixed on the exit gate.

Eventually, one by one, the players appeared, bringing out loud cheers from the crowd.

While each player was greeted with big cheers as they made their way to the bus, Shubman Gill, India's star batter, and Jasprit Bumrah, the world's greatest fast bowler, sent the crowd into a frenzy.

But Gill and Bumrah only smiled and waved at them before boarding the bus.

The fans wanted more - an autograph or a selfie, perhaps.

Eventually, it was skipper Suryakumar Yadav who stopped as the fans held their collective breath.

Surya gently walked up to the crowd with a smile on his face and signed autographs as fans jostled for a chance to get into the first row.

Among the lucky fans were two 10-year-old Dubai students, Siddhanth and Vedanth.

The youngsters, both aspiring cricketers, were ecstatic after Surya signed autographs for them.

“Honestly, at first, when we were waiting for the players to come, you feel nervous because you don't know how to interact with them, but the minute Surya came and signed it, our hearts fell so happy. You cannot feel happier at that moment,” Siddhanth said.

The small gesture from the Indian skipper has now inspired the two friends to pursue their cricket dreams more seriously.

“I always want to be a professional player. So now this has inspired me to play cricket more seriously,” said Siddhanth, a young right-arm pace bowler who plays for Jumeira Baccalaureate School team as well as for his academy team, It's Just Cricket.

His friend, Vedanth, has yet to join an academy. But has an infectious passion for the game.

“I bat, bowl and also do wicket-keeping. I do everything on a cricket field,” he said.

“Today it was our first experience of watching a live cricket match. So watching India win and getting an autograph from Surya, it feels like our life is complete.”

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