Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world and in India, it is so popular that many people regard it as a religion rather than a sport. In India, many well-known cricketers inspire a large number of people. Indians and cricket are as synonymous as Parle G and chai.
And, since we did love to use metaphors and figures of speech to express our lovely affinity with the athletes who are associated with this gentleman’s game, we may as well explore a little further and see how inventive we were while describing our favourite cricketers from across the world.
While being in public life, almost all people are somehow associated with some nicknames, and cricketers are no exception to that. A nickname is an informal title for someone or something, generally based on their true name or their character, that is given to them by their friends or family.
Some players have their names framed, while others have their names given to them by their admirers. These athletes are extremely popular among fans. As a result of their affection, the fans have given the cricketers several nicknames.
Many cricketers are referred to by their nicknames, whether in a post-match presentation or a press conference. This has been a long-running phenomenon.
So, here are some of the cricketers’ most well-known nicknames:
1. Sunil Gavaskar aka Little Master
Sunil Gavaskar earned the nickname “Little Master” after being the first cricketer to amass 10,000+ test runs and 34 test hundreds, a world record at the time.
2. Brett Lee aka Binga
The narrative is cute and strangely endearing, just like Lee. In Australia, there was a series of electronics stores known as “Bing Lee.” The nickname stuck, and everyone began to refer to Lee as “Binga.”
3. Sachin Tendulkar aka Master Blaster
Sachin has been known as the “Master Blaster” since the beginning of his career. To be honest, this name was not given by anyone in particular. As the 1990s progressed, the nickname “Little Master” (which he retained after breaking Gavaskar’s records) began to be supplanted by “Master Blaster.”
4. Sanat Jayasuriya aka Matara Mauler
He was one of Sri Lanka’s most destructive batsmen in history. The “Matara Mauler,” as he was affectionately known, could crush the finest of bowling assaults with his wild batting attitude.
5. Virat Kohli aka Chiku
Kohli once disclosed in one of his interviews that his nickname “Chiku” came from his coach, who claimed that Kohli’s large ears and short hair reminded him of “Chiku Das,” the rabbit from Champak comics.
6. Glenn McGrath aka Pigeon
McGrath earned the nickname “Pigeon” due to his small, skinny build and pigeon-like legs, which he had throughout his career.
7. Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka Mahi & Captain Cool
Previously, he was known as “Mahe,” which is a short form of Mahendra. However, when he grew in popularity, people began to refer to him as “Mahi.” He earned his “Captain Cool” name because of his calmness in difficult situations.
8. Adam Gilchrist aka Churchie & Gilly
While “Gilly” is established from his surname, “Churchy” is derived from the fact that he is a devout and religious Christian who attends church on a regular basis, sometimes even prioritising it before practice.
9. Ajinkya Rahane aka Jinx
Shane Warne nicknamed Rahane “Jinx” because he couldn’t pronounce his first name during their days when they were together playing for the Rajasthan Royals. That’s how Ajinkya became “Jinx”!
10. Rohit Sharma aka Shaana & Hitman
His admirers refer to him as “Hitman” because of his batting skills, while Yuvraj Singh gave him the title “Shaana” because he considers Rohit Sharma to be a “smart guy.”
11. Shahid Afridi aka Boom Boom
Ravi Shastri gave Afridi the nickname “Boom Boom” because of his six-hitting power.
12. Shoaib Akhtar aka Rawalpindi Express
As strange and amusing as it may sound, the fast bowler was christened “Rawalpindi Express” in honour of his homeland and rapid bowling.
13. Shikhar Dhawan aka Gabbar
Gabbar is one of Indian cinema’s most well-known villains. Shikhar Dhawan, India’s ace opener, is known as “Gabbar.” Vijay Dahiya, the coach of his Ranji squad, gave him this name because he keeps on twirling his moustache.
14. Steve Smith aka Smudge
Former Australian cricketers, as well as Smith’s colleagues, nicknamed him “Smudge.” Smith said in a 2017 interview that his nickname was given to him by former Australian batsman Mike Hussey.
15. Harbhajan Singh aka Bhajji & Turbanator
While Harbhajan’s actual nickname is “Sonu,” he is better known as “Bhajji,” and he was given the nickname “Turbanator” since he is a typical Punjabi who enjoys wearing turbans. He also names his Twitter ID as “Harbhajan Turbanator’.”
