'Papa, will you be playing today?' Lukman Meriwala reveals the voice note he received from his daughter

The motto of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is to build a platform where talent meets opportunity. Thus far, the T20 extravaganza has lived up to its reputation as every year numerous cricketers showcase their talent on one of the biggest stages in world cricket. It was a special moment for left-arm pacer Lukman Meriwala as Delhi Capitals locked horns against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. 

Meriwala, who was picked by DC after his stunning performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, announced himself to the cricket fraternity during the clash against PBKS as he was handed his maiden IPL cap by South African speedster Kagiso Rabada. Playing his first IPL match, the 29-year-old conceded 32 runs in his three overs at an economy rate of 10.

The Baroda-born named Mayank Agarwal as his maiden IPL wicket and his over proved to be a turning point in the game. The dismissal of Mayank slowed down Punjab’s innings and DC was successful in restricting the opposition to 195 for four in 20 overs. After a stunning IPL debut, Lukman was involved in an interaction with the Delhi Capitals where he spoke about his feelings and the joy of playing IPL.

Lukman Meriwala recalls his daughter’s voice note before the game

During the interaction, the 29-year-old made a sweet revelation as he talked about the message he received from his daughter. When asked about his family’s reactions, the left-arm pacer said, “Yes, they will be very happy. My daughter sent a voice note to me asking “Papa, will you be playing today?” I’m happy that I got to tell her that I played the match today and we won the match as well.” 

Further in the interaction, the seamer also revealed his conversation with skipper Rishabh Pant before he was about to bowl his first over. “Rishabh signaled to me after Woakes bowling his first two deliveries and told me you’ll bowl the next over. I started warming up and started thinking of what to bowl. 

He came and gave me the ball and told me to do whatever I have done for Baroda before in the domestic circuit. He told me not to think about the batsman or whatever it’s an IPL game, just told me to bowl the same way and move ahead from here,” Lukman Meriwala concluded.