32 Most popular nicknames in Cricket

32 Most popular nicknames in Cricket: We all remember our childhood names. Don’t we? Everybody has nicknames and our cricketers are no stranger’s to this. Cricket has a rich tradition of using nicknames with some cricketers known more by their moniker than their actual names. The rule for giving a nickname is that when people get close to each other, they prefer calling their friends, companions etc. by a name which is easy and sometimes even funny. It also signifies your love and bonding with that person. Here’s a list 32 Most popular nicknames in Cricket: 1. Virat Kohli ‘Chiku’ – It was Kohli’s Delhi state coach Ajit Chaudhary who gave him this name Chiku due to his spiked hairstyle. 2. Michael Clarke ‘Pup’ – The recent retiree Michael Clarke was nicknamed Pup on his debut tour of India in 2004 by his team mates as he showed the enthusiasm of a puppy. (Photo Source: Michael Clarke Twitter Handle) 3. Kapil Dev ‘The Haryana Hurricane’ – A naturally aggressive player, Kapil often helped India in difficult situations by taking the attack to the opposition. That is why he was named as The Haryana Hurricane. Kapil Dev. (© Getty Images) Also Read – Slogans and Success Mantras of the top cricket teams 4. Navjot Singh Sidhu ‘Sherry’ – Sidhu was named ‘Sherry’ as according to him his father was drinking that particular drink at the time of his birth and asked what should the boy be named, his father suggested the name ‘Sherry’. Navjot Singh Sidhu. (Photo Source: Rediff) 5. Shikhar Dhawan ‘Gabbar’ – While playing Ranji trophy matches, when the other players wouldn’t cheer up the team due to tiredness, he used the Sholay movie dialogues of Gabbar “Suar ke baccho” etc. And the teammates gave him the title of GABBAR which continues to stick with him. Known for his famous twirly moustache. Shikhar Dhawan with his wife Ayesha and son Zoraver. (Photo Source: Shikhar Dhawan Facebook Page) 6. ‘Sir’ Ravindra Jadeja – The incident is quite funny. Somebody played with Jadeja’s Wikipedia account and referred him as a philanthropist and a Nobel prize winner. Then he was trolled all over social media and that’s how he was referred as Sir Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Ravindra Jadeja Facebook Handle) 7. VVS Laxman ‘Very Very Special’ – The classy middle order batsman Laxman earned it after scoring 494 runs in 4 Tests against Australia in 2001 and saved India from losing the series; which included his career best knock of 281 at the Eden Garden’s Kolkata. (© Getty Images) 8. Graeme Smith ‘Biff’ – He hit the ball pretty hard so a fellow South African player compared to him a buffalo which became ‘biff’ later on. (© Getty Images) 9. Anil Kumble ‘Jumbo‘ – His ability to make the ball bounce with subtle variations in pace made him a tough bowler to face for the batsmen; thus earning him the nickname Jumbo. (Photo Source: Facebook) 10. Ajit Agarkar ‘Bombay Duck’ – Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar earned this unfortunate nickname after getting 7 consecutive ducks against Australia. (Photo Source: Getty Images) 11. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi ‘Tiger’- He was named Tiger because of his charismatic & dynamic personality. Even now, Pataudi remains one of the most colourful cricketers to have ever played the game. MUMBAI, INDIA ? APRIL 26: Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi arrives for the BCCI Council meet in Mumbai on Monday, April 26, 2010.(Photo by Bhaskar Paul/India Today Group/Getty Images) 12. Monty Panesar ‘The Python’ – Known to have many nicknames, this one is the most intriguing one. Monty has that uncanny knack of swallowing big wickets as he showed on the 2012 tour to India and is thus popularly referred as the Python (a deadly snake). (Photo Source: Getty Images) 13. Mark Waugh ‘Afghan’ – Mark Waugh was known as Afghan because he was often the forgotten Waugh, since his brother Steve hogged most of the limelight during their playing days. Mark though, was a major contributor in Australia’s victories in the ninetees. (Photo Source: Getty Images) 14. Glenn McGrath ‘Pigeon’ – Glenn McGrath stayed a thin fast bowler throughout his career and was thus called Pigeon because of his body frame especially in the leg area. (Photo Source: TheAge) 15. Allan Donald ‘White Lightning’ – The former South Africa fast bowler and now a much sought-after bowling coach was called White Lightning due to his sheer pace. (© Getty Images) 16. Andrew Flintoff ‘Freddie’ – Flintoff is known as ‘Freddie’ or ‘Fred’ because of his surname’s similarity to comic character Fred Flintstone. Andrew and Rocky Flintoff. (© Getty Images) 17. Mohammad Hafeez ‘Professor’ – Hafeez is called The Professor because of his long lectures that he preaches to fellow teammates in the dressing room. Even on the field he is always looking to find a way to give the bowler some of his advice. Mohammad Hafeez. (Photo Source: Associated Press) 18. David Lloyd ‘Bumble’ – He is known to the cricketing world as Bumble because of the ostensible similarity between his facial profile and those of the Bumblies. (© Getty Images) 19. Brett Lee ‘Binga’ – Brett Lee’s nickname Binga is borrowed from Bing Lee, which is an electrical appliance chain in Australia. Brett Lee. (© Getty Images) 20. Harbhajan Singh ‘Turbanator’ – The name ‘Turbanator’ came into the picture when Bhajji troubled Steve Waugh’s Australian side in the Kolkata and Chennai Tests of the 2001 series at home. The name was coined by the Aussies themselves. He was the highest wicket taker with 32 wickets as India went on to win the series 2-1. (Photo Source: ABP Live) 21. Herschelle Gibbs ‘Scooter’ – Gibbs who made headlines with his controversial autobiography ‘To The Point’, was known as ‘Scooter’. “When I was 16 and couldn’t drive a car, the guys at Western Province joked that they would buy me a scooter,” Gibbs revealed at an event. Herschelle Gibbs. (© Getty Images) 22. Sachin Tendulkar ‘The little champion’ – The master blaster or the ‘God’ of cricket got this name from his short stature and an incredible ability to win games single-handedly. He is popularly rated as the World’s best batsman alongside legendary Sir Don Bradman. Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Associated Press) 23. Rahul Dravid ‘Jammy’ – Rahul was nicknamed ‘Jammy’ because his father Sharad worked for jam and syrup giants Kissan. (Photo Source: BCCI) 24. Ricky Ponting ‘Punter’ – Ponting has been called ‘Punter’ for long because he loves to bet. Not on cricket matches though, it must be emphasized. In Tasmania, where he grew up, greyhound racing is a gambling sport which Ponting loved to indulge in. Ricky Ponting. (© Getty Images) 25. Shane Warne ‘Hollywood’ – He had several nicknames apart from Warnie. He was called Suicide Blonde by his former teammate Greg Matthews after rock group INXS’s big hit Suicide Blonde. He was also called Hollywood for his exciting lifestyle and good looks. Shane Warne. (© Getty Images) 26. Shaun Marsh ‘SOS’ – Shaun is nicknamed SOS which stands for ‘Son of Swampy’. Swampy is his father Geoff Marsh’s nickname thanks to the marshy connection to the surname. (Photo Source: BCCI) 27. Steve Waugh ‘Tugga’ – Waugh was known as ‘Tugga’ which is a pun on tug of war (Tugga Waugh). He was also called ‘Iceman’ because he could perform under pressure. (© Getty Images) 28. Clive Lloyd ‘Big Cat’ – Lloyd was named so for his size and agility on the field. He was heavily built but was that didn’t affect his fielding skills as he frequently took marvelous catches or saved crucial runs. Clive Lloyd. (Photo Source: ICC) 29. Shahid Afridi ‘Boom Boom’ – Afridi is named ‘Boom Boom’ because he goes berserk with the bat as soon as he arrives on the crease. He is also lovingly addressed as Lala by fans and teammates. Shahid Afridi. (© Getty Images) 30. Lance Klusener ‘Zulu’ – The South African fast bowler is nicknamed ‘Zulu’ because he could speak the language fluently. (© Getty Images) 31. Rohit Sharma ‘Hitman’ – India has its very own hitman, and his name is Rohit Sharma. With an innings of 264 at the Eden Gardens in ODIs, he gave the world ample proof of his talent and is starting to materialize his potential now. Rohit Sharma MI. (Photo Source: BCCI) 32. Shoaib Akhtar ‘The Rawalpindi Express‘ – The fiery pacer was called so as he hailed from the town of Rawalpindi in Pakistan. When at his best, he could instill fear among the best of the batsmen of his era with sheer pace. (© Getty Images) Also read: Top 15 Cricketers who set hairstyle trends