Screengrab: Mohammed Siraj and T Dilip share a hug following the dressing room ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday. (BCCI)One of the hits of the 2023 ODI World Cup – India’s fielding medal tradition – is back. Following their triumph in the 3rd T20I against South Africa on Thursday in Johannesburg, fielding coach T Dilip expanded on the idea behind keeping with the post-match ceremony in the dressing room.
“We all know the enthusiasm and excellence the fielding medal has created. Real credit to the players who made it really special. Going forward, I think instead of we presenting the medal after every game, we are presenting player of the series,” Dilip said in a recent BCCI video. “We are recognizing the consistent effort you show throughout the series.”
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Among the contenders for the same were newcomers Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the World Cup squad members in Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj, who had joined the team for the tour of South Africa. Eventually, the pacer was bestowed with the medal for the T20I series.
“Here is a man who has shown lot of awareness, and his skill has been amazing, that too being a fast bowler. We often talk about making a difference in the field. Not just throughout the match but the series,” said Dilip on Siraj. “The perseverance which he had throughout the World Cup is still with him, today he made a difference in the field with the run out. Yesterday, it was in the deep with the catch.”
To rousing applause from his teammates, Siraj would concede, “This is not just a medal. I was waiting for this since the World Cup but finally I’ve got it today. The lesson here is to never give up.”
Earlier during the ODI World Cup, the Indian team management’s decision to have a ‘dressing room medal ceremony’ was an instant hit on social media.
The idea had come in after the team’s fielding wasn’t up to the mark at Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka recently and a few games in West Indies. As a result, the team management came up with this exercise to reward the best fielder during the game. Earlier, the team coaches used to just praise players post every game and there used to be no medal ceremony.
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