IND vs SL: Suryakumar Yadav's epic reaction to 'where is our Sanju' delights Kerala crowd

The fans at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15, were treated to a batting masterclass thanks to spectacular centuries from former Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a young Shubman Gill. However, the fans also received a heartwarming gesture from Suryakumar Yadav when he was asked about local hero Sanju Samson by the crowd near the fence. 

While it was the young Indian opener, Shubman Gill, who did the bidding for his side in the early stages with his second ODI hundred, Virat Kohli took center stage by demolishing the Sri Lankan bowlers. He compiled an incredible innings of 166 runs in just 110 deliveries, to propel the home side to a mammoth total of 390 runs in the series finale.

Defending the massive score, the Indian bowlers made an absolute mockery of the Sri Lankan batting order, restricting them to just 73 runs in their reply. During Sri Lanka's chase, Indian batting ace Suryakumar Yadav, who was stationed near the fence, was asked, “where is Sanju?” by the fans. The batting ace replied to them by gesturing toward his heart, delighting the home crowd.

Samson will likely be back for the IPL later this year

Sanju Samson, who boasts of a massive fan following in the region, was named in the T20I series that preceded the ODIs. However, the elegant stroke-maker injured his knee in the first match of the three-match T20I series at the Wankhede and was ruled out for the remaining games. 

Samson's injury turned out to be worse than feared, and he was not considered for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand owing to his unfortunate injury. The Rajashtan Royals skipper will likely make his return to cricket in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League later this year.

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