NEW DELHI: The incident between S Sreesanth and Andre Nel during the second Test of India’s 2006 tour of South Africa in Johannesburg is one of the most memorable moments in cricket historycombining intensity, aggression, and a dash of humor.
During India’s second innings, Sreesanth, known more for his bowling, was at the crease as a lower-order batsman. South Africa’s Andre Nel, known for his aggressive and fiery attitude on the field, was bowling to Sreesanth.
Nel, being the intense and aggressive competitor that he was, tried to unsettle Sreesanth by sledging him.He reportedly told Sreesanth that he lacked heart and courage, implying that Sreesanth wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure or face him confidently.
Nel aggressively gestured towards his chest, insinuating that Sreesanth had no “heart” to take him on.
Sreesanth, rather than being intimidated, responded in a way that became iconic. On the very next delivery from Nel, Sreesanth stepped out and smashed a huge six over Nel’s head, stunning everyone, including Nel.
After hitting the six, Sreesanth didn’t stop there. He danced down the pitch rodeo style, swinging his bat in a joyous and cheeky manner, clearly mocking Nel’s earlier aggression.
His impromptu dance was a mix of anger, satisfaction, and humor, showing that he wasn’t going to be bullied or shaken by sledging.
Cut to 2024 and Sreesanth showed that he hasn’t lost any bit of spunk over the years.
Playing for Gujarat Giants in the Legends League Cricket (LLC), Sreesanth hit a huge six against Dan Christian of Manipal Tigers over the long-on boundary.
So magnificent was the hit that it even left Sreesanth’s Gujarat Giants teammates Shikhar Dhawan and Mohammad Kaif looking on and clapping in admiration.
The only difference was that this time there were no words exchanged and no rodeo style celebrations.
The official broadcaster of the LLC shared a clip of the six on their official X handle:
