VVS Laxman, on Thursday, applauded Mohammed Kaif’s contribution to the Indian cricket, saying that he inspired a generation of cricketers from UP to play fearlessly. He also said that Kaif’s exceptional fielding set the benchmark for other cricketers.
The former Test cricketer Laxman came up with a series on Twitter where he praised the players who influenced his life and career. Till now, he has hailed Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, and Ashish Nehra. And, Mohammad Kaif is the latest one to join his list.
VVS Laxman’s heaps praise on Kaif:
“A product of India’s robust grassroots structure, @MohammadKaif inspired an entire generation of players from Uttar Pradesh to shed their insecurities and play at the highest level. His electric fielding soon became the benchmark that thousands strived to emulate,” VVS Laxman writes on the microblogging site.
A product of India’s robust grassroots structure, @MohammadKaif inspired an entire generation of players from Uttar Pradesh to shed their insecurities and play at the highest level. His electric fielding soon became the benchmark that thousands strived to emulate. pic.twitter.com/TwbZD7DB1x
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) June 12, 2020
Mohammad Kaif’s memorable innings:
Mohammed Kaif first gained the limelight during his U-19 days. He led India to win the U-19 World Cup 2000 title. At the age of 19-year-old, he earned the call from the national team to play the Test series against South Africa in 2000. He then went on to play 125 ODIs and 13 Test matches, scoring 2753 and 624 runs respectively.
The 39-year-old Kaif is remembered for his prolific performance in the NatWest trophy grand-finale against England in 2002. He handled the pressure when Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag lost their wickets and guided India to victory. The middle-order batsman stitched up 121 runs partnership with Yuvraj Singh. Even after Yuvraj lost his wicket, Kaif battled and took away the game from the English team.
The Uttar Pradesh player was known for his exceptional fielding at cover but those were often overshadowed due to his poor scores with the bat. He retired from the game of cricket this year and currently, works as the mentor in IPL franchise Delhi Capitals (DC).