Indians have been celebrating ever since Mohammed Siraj's pace attack won him 6 wickets and eventually led India to its stunning victory against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Final 2023. In that celebratory mood, a fan asked Anand Mahindra -- known to bestow gifts on outstanding performers across any field -- to gift an SUV to the right-arm fast bowler.
It began with the Mahindra Group chairperson calling Siraj a "supernatural force" unleashed on the Sri Lankans.
"I don’t think I have EVER before felt my heart weep for our opponents… It’s as if we have unleashed a supernatural force upon them… Mohammed Siraj, you are a Marvel Avenger…" Anand Mahindra tweeted. To this, a fan commented, "Sir please give him a SUV."
I don’t think I have EVER before felt my heart weep for our opponents….It’s as if we have unleashed a supernatural force upon them… @mdsirajofficial you are a Marvel Avenger… https://t.co/DqlWbnXbxq— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 17, 2023
Responding to him, Mahindra wrote, "Been there, done that…"
The Mahindra Group chairman was talking about the 2021 incident when he gifted a brand new Thar to Mohammed Siraj after India's Test match win against Australia. He had also gifted cars to Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, and T Natarajan after being impressed with their performance.
Been there, done that… https://t.co/jBUsxlooZf— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 17, 2023
Interestingly, when it comes to bestowing gifts, Siraj himself won hearts for gifting his Player of Match prize money of $5,000 (about Rs 4 lakh) to R Premadasa Stadium's ground staff for their exemplary work in the rain-disrupted tournament.
"Have been bowling well for a long time. Was missing the edges earlier. But found them today. The wicket was seaming earlier, but there was swing today. Thought that I would bowl fuller because of the swing. When there's good bonding between fast bowlers, it's helpful for the team. I was thinking it would be great if I could stop the boundary. My best spell. This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. This tournament wouldn't have been possible without them," he said in the post-match presentation.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!