While Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul starred for Punjab with a magnificent 183-run partnership in their fixture against Rajasthan on Sunday, September 27, it was an unbelievable bit of fielding by Nicholas Pooran that drove the astounded audience bonkers.
After Sanju Samson, during another of his heady knocks this season, pulled a half-tracker that was set to hit the empty seats, Pooran, fielding at deep midwicket, leapt to action with a gravity-defying lunge over the boundary rope, caught the ball and then had the presence of mind to realise he was over the rope and tossed it back to Glenn Maxwell before touching the ground.
This impromptu display of acrobatics prompted everyone from cricketers to actors to express their astonishment on Twitter, and we rounded up some of the best reactions:
This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!! #IPL2020 #RRvKXIP
Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt), September 27, 2020
Gravity naamak cheez hi bhula di. Aisa kaise.
Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag), September 27, 2020
Defied Gravity, Pooran. What a save.
Just witnessed the greatest piece of fielding in cricketing history.. Pooran you beauty !!! Take a Bow!!! @nicholas_47
Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd), September 27, 2020
Pooran doing a Jonty Ropes! #WhistlePodu #RRvKXIP@JontyRhodes8 @nicholas_47
Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL), September 27, 2020
Pooran – what an incredible save that!
zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial), September 27, 2020
CC: @JontyRhodes8 – sir please explain this
What a save, Nicholas Pooran! #Dream11IPL | #RRvKXIP | Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar VIP
Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia), September 27, 2020
the best save I ‘ve ever seen in my life ,,, #pooran brilliant buddy #IPL #RRvKXIP
Kabir Duhan Singh (@Kabirduhansingh), September 27, 2020
Nicholas Pooran.. one of the best moments of fielding ever? Certainly the most athletic!! #pooran will go viral!
Mark Nicholas (@mcjnicholas), September 27, 2020
Best piece of fielding I have EVER seen in my life…and I’d like to think I’ve watched A LOT of #Cricket!
Thank was UNREAL from #NicPooran!#Pooran #KXIP #KXIPvsRR #IPL2020
Suhail Chandhok (@suhailchandhok), September 27, 2020
1 year of Pooran Poli free for him. The most amazing piece of fielding ever ! Take a bow #Nicholaspooran #IPLinUAE
Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye), September 27, 2020
On that acrobatic save from Pooran:
“That’s the best I have seen in a T20 game!” – @KP24
We couldn’t agree more. RT if you think the same #SaddaPunjab #IPL2020 #RRvKXIP #KXIP
Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip), September 27, 2020
Pooran has just produced one of the greatest fielding saves I have ever seen. That was almost two yards over the rope and to pull it back….Wow! Where is this standard of fielding going to take us next….
Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha), September 27, 2020
That save from Pooran was unreal!
Just goes on to show the high standards this format has reached.
VINOD KAMBLI (@vinodkambli349), September 27, 2020
Brilliant!#RRvKXIP
That is just an insaaaaaaaane effort from Pooran. It defied gravity and any concept of core stability you may have #KXIPvsRR
Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur), September 27, 2020
WOAH!
That Pooran effort deserved to save a six! #RRvKXIP | #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily
Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals), September 27, 2020
How did you do that, Pooran??? Are you wearing a cape under your #KXIP t-shirt?? Haven’t seen anything like this ever. #RRvKXIP
Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash), September 27, 2020
Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @sachin_rt