Watch: 'Impact Fielder' Medal Back In India's Dressing Room. Winner Is...
India's fielding coach honoured Mohammed Siraj with the 'impact fielder' medal after the conclusion of the T20I series against South Africa, continuing his ODI World Cup trend.
- NDTV Sports Desk
- Updated: December 15, 2023 08:15 pm IST
It wasn't just the Indian team's performance in the ODI World Cup 2023 that sent smiles all across the country but the ‘best fielder' custom that brought some epic dressing room scenes from the Indian team. While many believed that the ‘best fielder' trend would end with the conclusion of the World Cup, India's fielding coach T Dilip ensured that wasn't the case. After the conclusion of the T20Is against South Africa, Dilip brought the ‘impact fielder' in the Indian team for the series, and it was none other than Mohammed Siraj.
Dilip drew many plaudits for his initiative in the World Cup. Seeing the impact the ceremony made to his players and the Indian team's fans, he decided to continue the trend.
The fielding coach named Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal among contenders but decided to hand the medal to Siraj, hailing his "amazing skillset despite being a fast bowler."
“We talk about making a difference not just in one match but throughout the series. The perseverance with which he was going through the World Cup is still there. Every time he bowls, he comes back and dives and throws the ball. Today he made the difference in the field with the direct hit. Earlier, it was with his boundary line fielding,” said Dilip while presenting the medal to Siraj.
After getting the medal, Siraj said he was "waiting for this medal since the World Cup and now he's won it, which shows that one should never give in."
For the fans, it was pleasing to see smiles returning to the Indian dressing room after the Cricket World Cup 2023 final heartbreak. Despite winning 10 matches on the trot, India lost the World Cup final to Australia, with the players' dream of lifting the coveted trophy being shattered.
However, with the T20 World Cup 2024 already in focus, the journey in pursuit of success has already begun.