WATCH VIDEO: Blair Tickner Pulls Out ‘Pokemon Card’ After Naman Dhir’s Wicket, Quirky Celebration Goes Viral | IND vs NZ

by

Blair Tickner Celebration: New Zealand pacer Blair Tickner grabbed the spotlight during the fifth T20I against India at Seddon Park in Hamilton after dismissing Naman Dhir with a brilliant catch at extra-cover. Tickner celebrated by pulling out a card featuring a fire icon, kissing it and showing it off, creating a memorable moment during India’s innings.

The dismissal came in the 19th over when Dhir attempted to loft a slower knuckle-ball outside off but sliced it off the outer half of his bat. Michael Bracewell, positioned at extra-cover, ran back and completed an excellent diving catch. Dhir departed for 33 off 23 balls, having struck four fours and a six, while Tickner celebrated energetically with his now-noticed card. On commentary, Scott Styris suggested it was a Pokemon card.

Blair Tickner’s Unique Celebration

The moment unfolded at 18.4 overs when Tickner delivered a full knuckle-ball outside off. Dhir stepped forward and tried to clear the infield, but the ball came off the thick outer half of his bat and went towards extra-cover.

Bracewell tracked the ball, ran backwards and dived forward to complete the catch with both hands before tumbling to the ground. Tickner immediately celebrated, taking out a card with a fire icon and kissing it. The unusual gesture caught the attention of viewers, with Styris referring to it as a Pokemon card during the broadcast.

Dhir’s wicket came at a crucial stage of India’s innings. He had added 46 runs off 30 balls with Nitish Kumar Reddy for the sixth wicket, helping India recover after losing five wickets. His dismissal left India at 179/6 in the 19th over.

Blair Tickner Takes Two Wickets Against India

Tickner finished his four overs with figures of 2/38 at an economy rate of 9.50. He had earlier dismissed Ishan Kishan, who was caught by Nathan Smith at deep mid-wicket for 61 off 32 balls in the 11th over.

Kishan had struck five fours and five sixes, and his dismissal ended a significant contribution during India’s recovery. Tickner roared and punched the air after the catch, celebrating the breakthrough.

The New Zealand pacer also conceded 12 runs to Kishan in their five-ball battle, including a six and a four. Against Dhir, he conceded 12 runs off seven balls before dismissing him. Tickner also kept Shreyas Iyer to four runs from five deliveries.

India Post 191/8 Against New Zealand

India finished their 20 overs at 191/8, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with 61 off 32 balls and Shreyas Iyer contributing 50 off 23. The pair added 93 runs off 43 deliveries for the third wicket after India lost Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson early.

Adam Milne led New Zealand’s bowling effort with four wickets for 19 runs in four overs. Nathan Smith claimed 2/28, while Tickner finished with two wickets. India also received contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored 22 off 17, and Naman Dhir’s 33 off 23.

Tickner’s two wickets, particularly his dismissal of Dhir and the distinctive celebration that followed, provided one of the talking points from India’s innings at Seddon Park.

PRIYANSHU PRIYADARSHI

Priyanshu Priyadarshi is a sports journalist with News X, part of ITV Network, covering cricket, football, hockey and other major sporting events. He has also worked with The Sunday Guardian, another publication under the ITV Network, and previously with Jagran New Media. Throughout his career, Priyanshu has covered multiple tournaments across cricket, football, hockey and other major sports, delivering timely news, match reports, in-depth analysis and compelling sports stories. With a keen interest in cricket and a passion for sports journalism, he is committed to bringing readers accurate, insightful and engaging coverage of the biggest moments in the sporting world.

The post WATCH VIDEO: Blair Tickner Pulls Out ‘Pokemon Card’ After Naman Dhir’s Wicket, Quirky Celebration Goes Viral | IND vs NZ appeared first on NewsX.

Leave a Comment