Hardik Pandya becomes first cricketer in IPL to take a knee in support of BLM movement

NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya knows how to win hearts. The Mumbai Indians (MI) cricketer, who is in Abu Dhabi for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), became the first player in the event to take a knee to show his support to the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Sunday.

The MI all-rounder, who put up a brilliant knock of 60 runs in 21 balls that saw 7 sixes against Rajasthan Royals, also posted a picture of his gesture on social media with the caption, 'Black Lives Matter'.



During the Sunday match against Royals, Pandya went down on a knee and raised his right arm after completing his half-century. He gestured towards the MI dugout, and in response Kieron Pollard, who is substituting for skipper Rohit Sharma, raised his right fist.

On July 30, Pandya and wife Natasa Stankovic welcomed a baby boy, Agastya Nanda. The 27-year-old cricketer has been keeping his fans updated on social media with interesting posts about his newborn.



The BLM movement gained momentum after the death of an African-American man, named George Floyd, in May this year. He stopped breathing after a police officer, identified as Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on Floyd's neck as it appeared in the viral videos. After the death of Floyd, more celebrities and sports stars have been speaking out about racism.

Earlier this summer, during the three-match Test series between England and the West Indies, the two teams, along with their match officials, took a knee in support of the 'BLM' movement.

Recently, Delhi Capitals pacer Kagiso Rabada stated that sportspersons should spread the message of racial equality. West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder, who is playing for the SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, had expressed his disappointment over cricketers not articulating their stand over BLM in the IPL.

The Women's Big Bash League, which started on Sunday, also saw a team take the knee where the Sydney Thunder team decided to show the gesture throughout the tournament.