Young cricketer’s feat catches the attention of greats

Sachin Tendulkar calls it ‘footballer’s instinct’, former England captain Michael Vaughan described the feat as a ‘Kung Fu catch’

Cricketers all over the world are applauding a young man’s incredible catch during a cricket match in Belagavi, Karnataka.

When the batsmen hit the ball, Kiran Terlekar ran to the boundary line and tried to catch the ball. He caught the ball, but threw it in the air on realising that he was losing his balance, and was going to step outside the boundary. He then regained his composure, and saw that the ball was about to fall outside the boundary. Before the ball could hit the ground, he jumped and kicked it upwards and inside the boundary, with his right foot. The ball was caught by his team mate, who was well within the boundary.

This action took place during a match in the Chashak 2022 tournament organised by local clubs on February 12. The match was being played between SRS Hindustani Nippani and Sairaj Cricket Club of Belagavi.

A clip of the feat was shared by friends of Kiran Terlekar. It was watched by, among others, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who praised the effort. Sachin Tendulkar called it ‘a footballer’s instinct’. “This is what happens when you have footballers playing cricket,’‘ he said.

Others who watched the clip include Michael Vaughan, former captain of the England cricket team, and Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand.

Michael Vaughan described the feat as a ‘Kung Fu kick’.

Kiran Terlekar is a cricket coach and a post-graduate student of physical education at Raibag in Belagavi district. He was overwhelmed by the recognition for his feat. He hopes to complete his course this year, and aspires to coach students in cricket at a college or a university.