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Many Indian cricketers are admired like demi-gods in the country and around the globe. From Kapil Dev, India’s first World Cup-winning captain, to Virat Kohli, a modern-day run-machine, a number of Indian cricketers have die-hard fan followings.
Performing well on the field is, of course, a prerequisite for any sportsman to earn name and fame. At the same time, players’ behaviour too influences their fan-following. Indian cricketers, with their quirky ways on and off the field, have gained a cult status among the sport’s lovers.
With the advent of social media, fans and admirers of Indian cricket have been able to get a personal insight into their favourite players. That has only added to the legend of some of the finest Indian cricketers.
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Going beyond their numbers on the cricket ground, let's take a look at ten of the wittiest Indian cricketers who have a genuine, funny bone.
#10 Wasim Jaffer
Until a couple of years back, nobody would have expected Wasim Jaffer to be on this list.
On the field, he was always known as a serious Indian cricketer who was completely dedicated to his art - batting. Although he did not enjoy much success with the Indian team post-retirement, his fan following has increased multifold owing to his uncanny sense of humour in his social-media posts.
Be it trolling former England captain Michael Vaughan or entertaining cricket lovers with his to-be-decoded social media posts, Jaffer has seen his popularity on the rise in recent times.
#9 Yuvraj Singh
Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh had the typical Punjabi flair on the cricket field, and he hasn’t lost that post-retirement either.
The former all-rounder lives life to the fullest and loves taking a joke on himself. One famous instance of Yuvraj Singh the funnyman was on display in early 2017, when he shared a meme on his and Ashish Nehra’s comeback, which read:
“It seems, BCCI is still accepting old Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes.”
In an episode of SK Tales, Sanjay Manjrekar had also revealed how Yuvraj Singh reacted in a humourous way during a post-match interview despite Manjrekar asking for him not to be selected in the team. A smiling Singh had told Manjrekar:
“Yes sir, I have heard some people talk about it (that I should not have been selected).”
#8 Virender Sehwag
Bold, brazen and audacious. Few Indian cricketers have changed the name of the game with their batting exploits, as Virender Sehwag has. But what made the Nawab of Najafgarh extremely popular with the masses was his nonchalance, which added to his grandeur.
Whether it was singing Kishore Kumar songs while taking strike or telling Shoaib Akhtar to stop ‘begging’ on being repeatedly asked by the bowler to play a particular stroke, Sehwag was one of a kind. Post-retirement, he continues to entertain fans with his goofy tweets.
#7 Shikhar Dhawan
Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan, who is leading the limited-overs squad in Sri Lanka, loves having a laugh - whether it is out in the middle or off the field.
The Indian cricketer’s thigh-five on taking a catch has become quite a rage, and he is among the few players who is mostly seen in a happy mood on the cricket field.
In an Instagram video that went viral in November 2020, Dhawan was seen trying to 'woo' Prithvi Shaw by taking off in his shirt in a very funny clip.
He was able to smile even after West Indian bowler Keemo Paul gave him a thigh-five send-off during an ODI in 2018.
#6 Rishabh Pant
Young and energetic, Rishabh Pant first gained fame as an Indian cricketer with his cheeky one-liners to Tim Paine during India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19.
The two wicketkeeper-batsmen kept taking hilarious digs at each other throughout the tour, but Pant’s ‘Have you heard the word temporary captain ever?’ jibe at Paine took the cake.
The Australian captain, on the other hand, had asked the young Indian cricketer if he would like to babysit his kids.
In a wonderful display of sporting behaviour, Pant posed with Paine’s kids, with the Australian cricketer’s wife terming him ‘the best babysitter’. These days, Pant keeps fans entertained with his funny social media posts.
#5 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma may appear as a serious Indian cricketer on the pitch. But his press conferences are the stuff of legend, bringing out the lighter side of him in no uncertain terms.
On being asked why he chose to bat first during an IPL match in 2019, Rohit replied:
“…because I knew we would win.”
Responding to another query on how the Indian team planned to celebrate MS Dhoni’s birthday, the Indian cricketer quipped:
“We'll send you photos.”
These are only a few of the gems from the veteran Indian cricketer. You will surely find many more on YouTube.
#4 Ravi Shastri
No matter how much he is trolled, sometimes unfairly, former India cricketer and current coach Ravi Shastri manages to keep his humour in tact.
Right from the playing days, Shastri has been known as someone who loves to defy the odds. He didn’t mind sharing a meme, which poked fun at his love for drinks after India defeated England in two days in the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad. He posted the meme and wrote:
”Love the banter ! Feels good to bring some smiles in these tough times.”
His post on the many 36s in Indian cricket was a fun way of looking at the positives of the number, which became infamous after India’s Adelaide disaster. Shastri's ‘no chat’ response on being asked what was discussed after the Adelaide debacle was forthright and amusing at the same time.
#3 Sunil Gavaskar
Many from the current era should consider themselves unlucky not to have watched the Little Master bat. But they are lucky to witness the former India cricketer’s humorous side as a commentator and analyst.
One recent instance of that came during the Adelaide Test of 2020. When India sent in Jasprit Bumrah as a night watchman during the Test, Sunil Gavaskar commented:
"30-40 years down the road, (Bumrah's) going to tell his grandchildren, 'I batted number three for India'... "He won't tell the circumstances."
When India dropped easy catches in the same Test, the former Indian cricketer quipped:
“All I can think of is the Indians are in a Christmas mood. Giving their Christmas gifts a week early.”
Gavaskar is a very good mimic as well. His imitation of Javed Miandad on a famous comedy show, where he was a guest with Virender Sehwag, remains hugely popular on YouTube.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has a funny bone for sure, which is evident in his social media posts.
He loves trolling fellow Indian cricketers and doesn’t mind getting trolled back either. When Rohit Sharma once shared a picture of himself in a happy mood after his favourite football team won, Chahal responded that the real reason for the Mumbai Indians captain’s excitement what that he didn't have to do the household chores for the day.
While his Tiktok video with his family brought smiles on quite a few faces, the 30-year-old Indian cricketer also trolled captain Virat Kohli by once commenting on a post, claiming that Chahal the batsman would win the battle against Kohli the bowler.
#1 MS Dhoni
Captain cool MS Dhoni mixed sarcasm with humour as few could. During his time as captain of the team, the legendary Indian cricketer was mostly under the pump and resorted to having some fun on the field and off it as well.
A number of his witty one-liners from behind the stumps went viral on social media. He once told Sreesanth:
“Oye Sree girlfriend nahi hai udhar, idhar aaja thoda" (Sreesanth your girlfriend is not there, please come a little square(r)).
This was after the fielder missed the captain’s instructions.
On another occasion, unhappy with Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling, he told the left-arm spinner:
“Jaddu thoda off mein daal. Pujara ko udhar taali bajane nahi rakha hai" (Jadeja bowl on the off stump. Pujara is not standing there to clap).
He kept the journos entertained during press conferences too. Responding to rumours of a spat between Dhawan and Kohli during the 2014 Australian tour, Dhoni said:
“Virat used a knife. He stabbed Shikhar, who just recovered out of that, then we pushed him (out) to bat.”
MS Dhoni pulled off the funny remark without losing his composure even as his fellow Indian cricketers were having a tough time on that tour Down Under.
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