New Zealand captain lauded for heartwarming gesture after accidentally injuring a girl in the stands

Hitting a six in a game of cricket means knocking it out of the ground into the stands or beyond. It's a cause for celebration but for Sophie Devine, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, it ended up injuring a small girl in the stands. Devine was participating in the Twenty20 Super Smash tournament and hit a six during her impressive performance and the ball ended up accidentally hitting a young girl. Overcome by empathy and compassion, Devine rushed to check on the girl to ensure she was okay. This heartfelt act of concern served as a heartwarming reminder that cricketers, despite their skills and fame, are also human beings capable of displaying kindness and empathy.

In the match between the Otago Women and the Wellington Women, Devine was playing extremely well when she hit a smashing six. She absolutely destroyed the Otago bowling attack in Dunedin. She hit the fastest century in women's T20 cricket history with a 38-ball 108. Her knock featured nine fours and nine sixes as Wellington cruised home with all ten wickets to spare, chasing down the target of 129 in just 8.4 overs, according to CricTracker.

Unfortunately, the six she hit to bring up her hundred landed directly on the head of a girl sitting in the audience. Instead of celebrating her century, she walked up to the girl as soon as the match was over and immediately checked on her well-being. When Devine approached her, she was using an ice pack. She also gave the young fan some cricket gear and even took a selfie with her.

The video clip was captured and posted on social media sites like Twitter, Reddit and Facebook where fans applauded Devine's heartwarming gesture. The clip received 16 million views on Facebook; more than 11 thousand upvotes on Reddit and more than 1220 likes on Twitter. "Kind-hearted gesture. No celebration and more concern for the young lass. Hoping she was not badly hurt," commented Todd Longson. "Having been hit with a cricket ball as a child, that shit hurts. Kudos on Devine for really checking on the child to make sure she was alright," wrote u/forgedbydie. "Always a class act, on and off the field. A choice role model," said @Head_Weasel.

In another wholesome moment surrounding cricket, the Australian captain did a heartwarming gesture for his Muslim teammate. After Australia's Ashes victory over England, the players gathered at Hobart's Bellerive Oval for celebrations. However, Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket captain, realized that his teammate Usman Khawaja was missing. Khawaja, the first Muslim cricketer to represent Australia, chose to distance himself from the celebrations to respect his religious beliefs, as he did not want to be sprayed with alcohol.

Despite the tradition of celebrating with champagne, Cummins recognized the importance of inclusivity and respect for Usman Khawaja's religious beliefs. He requested his teammates to put away the champagne bottles and invited Khawaja to join the celebrations on the dais. Cummins acknowledged that Khawaja deserved to celebrate the victory alongside the team, demonstrating the significance of inclusiveness over a customary ritual.