5 Instances when Indian cricket players helped the opposition

Cricket is often referred to as the ‘Gentleman’s game’. And, there have been many instances where cricketers have displayed excellent sportsmanship both on the field as well as off the field. And, these heartwarming gestures that the cricketers indulged themselves in further adds to the respect we have for the players as well as the sport. And, Indian cricketers have offered a helping hand to the opposition as well. From Sachin Tendulkar to Rahul Dravid, the legends of Indian cricket have helped the opposition, thus enhancing their stature in the game. In this article, let us take a look at 5 instances when Indian cricketers helped the opposition. 5. Rahul Dravid offers to help the Scotland cricket team learn the tricks of the trade Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Rahul Dravid offered his services to a team clad in blue in the year 2003. While many of you might think that it is obvious as he played for the Indian cricket team, that is not what I am referring to here. After the conclusion of the 2003 World Cup, the Scotland Cricket Team wanted the iconic Sachin Tendulkar to help them. However, the then Indian Head Coach, John Wright instead offered to send Rahul Dravid to the Scotland camp. And, Dravid readily agreed to offer his services to the Scotland cricket team. Dravid in fact played 11 ODI matches for Scotland and scored a mammoth 600 runs. And surely, the players of the Scotland cricket team would have had an experience of a lifetime spending time with a man as great as Dravid in the dressing room. 4. MS Dhoni advised field set up against Bangladesh during a 2019 World Cup warm-up game CARDIFF, WALES – MAY 28: India batsman MS Dhoni celebrates his century during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up match between Bangladesh and India at Cardiff Wales Stadium on May 28, 2019 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) We all know that MS Dhoni has one of the sharpest cricketing brains. And, Dhoni’s unconventional field placements have worked wonders for his side. But then, in a warm-up match ahead of the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni went a step further and set the field for the opposition when he was batting. The incident we are referring to here took place in an encounter between India and Bangladesh. During the 40th over of the Indian innings, Dhoni stopped the bowler and asked the Bangladesh side to place a fielder at square leg. And needless to say, the Bangladesh cricket team obliged. Dhoni smashed a whirlwind 113 off just 78 deliveries in that match and helped India thrash Bangladesh by a margin of 95 runs. MS Dhoni has played 350 ODIs for India and has scored 10773 runs at an average of 50.58. 3. Mandeep Singh fielded for South Africa A as they were short of players Mandeep Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter) In the year 2015, Mandeep Singh was seen wearing a dark green and yellow jersey. Surely, that is not the jersey color of the Indian cricket team, isn’t it? So, what was Mandeep Singh doing then? Well, the South Africa A side was short of players as 4 of their regular players were not able to take the field due to stomach problems. And as a result, Mandeep Singh came out to field for the South Africa A side. Mandeep Singh has featured in 3 T20Is for the Indian side and has scored 87 runs with the willow. He has also scored 1659 runs in 104 IPL matches as well. 2. Rahul Dravid goes to Younis Khan’s room to help him Rahul Dravid and Younis Khan. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Rahul Dravid and Younis Khan will go down as two of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game. Both these batting behemoths have scored more than 10000 runs in Test cricket, and both of them have scored over 30 centuries in the whites as well. And, Younis Khan shared an incident where Rahul Dravid personally came to Younis Khan’s room in the year 2004, when the Champions Trophy tournament was going on. Khan stated that he had requested Dravid for 5 minutes of his time, and Dravid obliged and even went to Khan’s room to offer some advice to him. Khan added that Dravid’s advice completely changed his cricket. “The learning should not stop. I went to Rahul Dravid in the 2004 Champions Trophy in Birmingham and I asked for 5 minutes but Dravid himself came to me and I was a junior player. I asked him a few questions and I took them ahead and it changed my cricket,” said Younis Khan as quoted by India Today. While Dravid retired from the game in the year 2012, Younis Khan played his last international match for Pakistan in the year 2017. 1. Sachin Tendulkar fielded for Pakistan before making his debut for India Sachin Tendulkar. (© MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) Sachin Tendulkar is a colossus of the game and is arguably the greatest batsman to have ever played the game of cricket. And, the story of how Tendulkar took on a vicious Pakistan bowling attack at the age of 16 in the year 1989 in his debut series is a story that is now a part of Indian cricketing folklore. But then, before making his international debut for India, Tendulkar actually fielded for Pakistan. Yes, in the year 1987, the ‘Master Blaster’ fielded for Pakistan in a Test match against India. Two Pakistan players, Javed Miandad and Abdul Qadir had gone off the field, and Tendulkar came in as a substitute fielder for the Pakistan side as they had requested him to do so. Tendulkar played for the Indian side for a whopping 24 years and is the most prolific run-scorer in both Tests (15921) as well as ODI cricket (18426). He is also the only batsman to have plundered 100 centuries in international cricket. Tendulkar retired from the sport in the year 2013, after playing his 200th and last Test match against the West Indies.

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5 Instances when Indian cricket players helped the opposition

From Sachin Tendulkar to Rahul Dravid, the legends of Indian cricket have helped the opposition, thus enhancing their stature in the game.

3. Mandeep Singh fielded for South Africa A as they were short of players

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