Cricket is termed as gentlemen's game. Plenty of instances of cricket players on the field have won hearts of the fans. Batters going to check the people hit by ball on the sixes they hit post the match, is something which is seen often. Players giving away souvenirs or exchanging something from their kit, for raising funds is a sight which shows the human nature of these celebrated superstars. And similarly have the instances of these players off the field, which show their care for people. One such incident happened in the match between New Zealand and South Africa, which happened at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

The ever enthusiastic Indian cricket fans rushed in the stadium to watch the encounter between the two teams considered to be favourites for the tournament. People from all age groups joined the eager crowd to witness the game. The adrenaline rush therefore saw a full packed stadium, in spite of the scorching heat. The unbothered spectators were in the stadium without any hat or cap, which would've helped them reduce the impact of sun. And the result of all these together, was felt by a spectator in the East Stand. A middle aged man suffered sunstroke due to the constant exposure to harmful rays of the afternoon sun.

Almost the entire East stand was shocked to see that happen, and all the remaining spectators stood up on their seats in order to check if the man was doing fine. The man had fainted and was on the verge to fall. Sensing something was wrong in the stands, Devon Conway, who was fielding near the boundary rops adjacent to the stand, understood that something was wrong. And seeing the doctors rushing towards the person, Conway got to know what's happening. And immediately he asked his dugout to bring a water bottle and a bottle of energy drinks. And once the Kiwi support staff gave it to Conway, he threw it into the stands, allowing the spectators to catch the 2 bottles.

Initially the bystanders thought it to be a souvenir, and clapped for it. But then Conway turned back to them signalling the spectators to pass the bottles to the person who was affected by sunstroke. The bottles reached the patient, who was hydrated immediately due to those, and could then be back to normal. This small gesture from Conway garnered a thunderous applause from all the East stand spectators, who continued to chant his name for around the next 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Conway just checked once if the man was okay, and then resumed his focus on the match. This incident showed a very human side of Conway, which was heard of by many, but witnessed by those sitting in East stand.

Devon Conway, a South African born who plays for NewZealand cricket team is a terrific player of the cricket ball. He made an immediate impact on his international debut as he made a century on his test debut at Lord's, a feat which was replicated by a left hander 25 years after Sourav Ganguly(both of them share the same birthdays) did it back in 1996. Conway was instrumental in the New Zealand team's success in all the matches he played for, including the WTC final 2021. He also has a lion's share in CSK's success as champions in this year's IPL. And as good a player he is, he is an even better human. It was always a thing heard from people who know him, and witnessed by Pune.

The incident didn't garner the attention of cricketing world, as it was not captured on camera. However, I was blessed to be physically present in the East stand, where I got a chance to witness it. Eventually the match between the two test playing nations went the Protean team's way, who won it comfortably. But more important than the result was the small yet important gesture of Devon Conway which showed the kind of human he is. It might go unnoticed by the world, but it will never be the case with the people present there, and the man who suffered the stroke, who might have carried the bottles as a souvenir for himself shared by this amazing cricketer.