Chamika Karunaratne looks up to India all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a role model.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya showed a heart-winning gesture towards Sri Lanka's Chamika Karunaratne ahead of their clash in the first T20 on Sunday (July 25). Hardik gifted his bat to Karunaratne, who considers him his idol in cricket.
Karunaratne shared the moment on his Instagram account after the match. Posting the clips, he wrote that it was an honor for him to receive a bat from his role model.
ALSO READ: SL v IND 2021: Dasun Shanaka blames poor batting performance for loss in first T20I
"Absolutely honoured to have received a bat from my role model @hardikpandya93, on my T20 debut. You are an amazing human being and I am truly touched by your thoughtful gesture. I’ll never forget this day. May God bless you always," the Sri Lankan cricketer wrote.
Hardik reacted to the post and wished him the best for the rest of the T20I series. "My pleasure Karunaratne. Good luck for the rest of the series," he wrote.
India won the first T20I by 38 runs after bowling Sri Lanka out on 126 runs. Suryakumar Yadav scored 50 off 34 balls as India posted 164 for 5. Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 1 wicket in the match, while Deepak Chahar bagged 2 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar four wickets.