Friendship Day 2021: 5 Indian cricketers who are best friends with overseas rivals

Social media is flooded with wishes and heartfelt messages as Friendship Day 2021 is being observed on Sunday, August 1. This special occasion is dedicated to friends we make in our way. Friends indeed play a significant role in our lives as moments spent with them make up for lifelong memories. A true friend also stays besides through every thick and thin.

Hence, it’s really important to get the right friends in life. The game of cricket has also seen many tales of friendship. With cricket being a team sport, factors like teamwork and partnership play a crucial role. For example, batters require coordination while running between the wickets while teamwork is needed to execute a particular plan on the field. Owing to this, cricketers tend to make a lot of friends within teams.

However, friendship in cricket is not restricted to national boundaries. With T20 leagues coming in the picture, players of different countries get to join forces on the cricket friend. This also develops bonds and camaraderie between individuals. Several Indian cricketers also have best friends in foreign countries, thanks to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Here, we look at 5 Indian cricketers who are best friends with overseas rivals

5. Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard

It has been a while since Pandya and Pollard are playing for Mumbai Indians and the duo has undoubtedly developed a great bond. The two all-rounders have a lot in common as both are swashbuckling batters and handy medium-fast bowlers. In fact, on many occasions, they have taken MI over the line by joining forces on the field.

In the process, the two dashers became best friends and there are numerous tales of their friendship. Pandya, who joined MI in 2015, certainly has taken a lot of learning from Pollard’s game. He has also credited his senior pro for the same. At the same time, the West Indies captain is a fan of Pandya’s fighting spirit.

In a recent interaction, Pollard recalled how the Indian all-rounder motivated him during a clash against Chennai Super Kings in the now-postponed Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. With the two all-rounders having a lot of cricket left in them, they will continue to share the MI dressing room for a while.

4. Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle

Yuvraj and Gayle are undoubtedly two of the most dangerous batters to have taken the cricket field and their record speaks volumes of their prowess. Both are known for their big-hitting prowess and ability to bowl handy off-spins. Riding on their brilliance, India and West Indies have won several crucial series and tournaments.

While Yuvraj and Gayle have been against each other many times in international cricket, they share a great bond off the field. After all, the duo has a lot in common. Besides changing the game on the cricket field, they are known for their outspoken nature and love for parties. On many occasions, Yuvraj and Gayle have been spotted enjoying a gala time together.

The duo has also not shied from pulling each other’s leg on social media. While Gayle and Yuvraj have known each other for a long, they reportedly became close friends during their stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2014.

3. MS Dhoni and Michael Hussey

As mentioned previously, IPL has seen many Indian and foreign players becoming close friends. MS Dhoni and Michael Hussey are also one of them. This duo has played a crucial role in Chennai Super Kings’ immense success over the years. While Dhoni has been leading the team since the inception of the tournament, the Australian star served the side both as a player before becoming the batting coach.

The tale of this friendship got underway in the inaugural IPL season in 2008. Dhoni, who’s known to bring the best of players, gave Michael Hussey the opening slot despite the southpaw being a middle-order batter for Australia. The decision did wonders as Hussey played many match-winning knocks at the top.

On many occasions, the duo tormented opposition bowlers by joining forces. Although Hussey retired from all forms of cricket in 2015, his association with CSK and Dhoni wasn’t over. The southpaw was appointed the batting coach of the team and he continues to serve in that role.

2. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

Now, this was as obvious as daylight! The pair of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers had to make this list. Two of the best batters to have ever graced the game, Kohli and De Villiers have been sharing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) dressing room since 2011. While the duo took RCB to several wins in this period, they also became friends in the process.

Kohli and De Villiers are huge fans of each other’s skills and they have never hesitated in expressing the game. Fans have also been debating who is the better between the two. However, this doesn’t faze their bond. In fact, the duo is known to bring the best out of each other. De Villiers has been praising the RCB captain for showing faith in him while Kohli has claimed to learn a lot from the South African star.

If one may recall, De Villiers helped Kohli to end his lean patch against England earlier this year. After scoring a match-winning half-century in the second T20I, the Indian skipper revealed that a ‘special chat’ with the former South African captain helped him get back in form.

1. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara

It has been a while since Tendulkar and Lara bid adieu to international cricket. However, the debate of who’s better between the two hasn’t quite ended. After all, the two giants of the game did wonders for their respective national teams. They piled up a mountain of runs and gave nightmares to many prominent bowling line-ups.

However, all these debates and discussions couldn’t restrict Tendulkar and Lara from becoming best of friends. The duo has nothing but respect for each other as they never shy in praising each other. On many occasions, they have also been spotted playing golf together.

Although the two talismans aren’t active cricketers anymore, they have participated in several charity games together. They were last spotted together in the Road Safety World Series 2021 where India Legends emerged victoriously.