One of the finest fielders the game of cricket has ever seen, Jonty Rhodes remains a beloved figure in the cricketing fraternity even today. It isn't just the way he played the Gentleman's game that earned him worldwide fade but also the manner he conducts himself off the field. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings encountering a rain-hurdle, Rhodes' selfless nature was truly visible to fans.
As the rain came downpouring at the Ekana stadium in Lucknow, Rhodes -- who is the LSG fielding coach -- grabbed one of the strings of the cover, lending a helping hand to the groundsmen in a bid to quickly cover the pitch.
The video of Rhodes' selfless action went viral on social media, with fans hailing him for being grounded.
Reacting to the video, Rhodes said: "Thank you @Anand_ac314 I was actually inspired by @msdhoni and the way he handled the incredible support he was shown at #EkanaStadium. Not just a legend, but a great man too #7 #legend #greathuman #respectthegame"
Reacting to another video of his act shared by LSG, the former South African cricketer said: "Just trying to live up to my supporters signs from the 90s which claimed that "water covers 70% of the earth, and rest is covered by Jonty"."
As for the match, Ayush Badoni stood tall amidst the ruins with a classy half-century on a poor surface before a sharp downpour forced Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings to split points as their IPL match was called off.
This is the first game in the 16th edition of IPL that had to be called off midway due to rain.
Rain stopped play in the 20th over but by then Badoni, who came in at 44 for 5 had put his team in a position of respectability on a very difficult surface.
Badoni, smashed two fours and four sixes in his 33-ball-59 and his temperament on a surface conducive for slow bowlers was worth its weight in gold as it didn't seem at one point that LSG could cross 125-run mark.
With 11 points from 10 games, LSG and CSK are placed second and third on points table respectively. LSG (+0.639) have a better net run-rate compared to CSK (+0.329).
With PTI inputs