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Being a cricketer, players are obviously expected to excel in the sport, either with the bat or ball, depending on their area of expertise.
Over the years, the game of cricket has produced some exceptional players, from Sir Don Bradman to Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Holding to Wasim Akram, who immersed themselves completely in the sport.
Every cricketer, though, also has a life outside the game. Some cricketers explore another dimension to their personality during their playing days itself, to release some of the pressure of expectations that can take a toll on them. Few others find different ways to stay creative after hanging their boots from the game.
Either way, a lot of cricketers end up discovering that they can do a lot more than just succeed with bat and ball.
Gifted cricketers
In this feature, we take a look at 10 cricketers, past and present, who have talents to showcase going beyond the cricket field.
#1 Shikhar Dhawan (Flute)
Veteran Team India batsman Shikhar Dhawan is currently in Sri Lanka on his maiden assignment as captain of the limited-overs side. Dhawan is one of India’s finest openers in ODIs, having scored 5977 runs in 142 one-day matches at an average of 45.28 with 17 hundreds.
Apart from being a wonderful cricketer and batter, known for his thigh-five celebrations, Dhawan is also excellent at playing the flute. The 35-year-old keeps sharing proof of his talent on social media. Watch Dhawan play the flute in the videos below:
#2 Yuvzendra Chahal (Chess)
Team India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) leg-spinner Yuvzendra Chahal has won quite a few matches for India and RCB with his smart bowling. He has an impressive record in both international cricket and the IPL. Chahal has claimed 92 scalps in 54 ODIs and 62 wickets in 48 T20Is. In the IPL, he has picked up 125 wickets in 106 games.
That he is known as a shrewd thinker of the game comes as no surprise since Chahal was a chess player during his school days. The cricketer also represented India in chess at the World Youth Chess Championship. In fact, Chahal’s name is listed on the World Chess Federation's official site.
#3 Ajinkya Rahane (Karate)
Team India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is known as a simple, reserved cricketer, a complete contrast to his skipper Virat Kohli. Even when he led India to a stunning Test win in Australia earlier this year in Kohli’s absence, he never went overboard with his celebrations.
There is a different side to Rahane though. He actually holds a black belt in karate. According to various media reports, the Mumbai cricketer had to break 50 bricks back-to-back and also had to allow 50 people to jump over his stomach to clear his exams.
#4 Andrew Flintoff (Boxing)
When fit and in form, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was one of the best cricketers in the game. However, he could not fulfill his potential and ended his career with a lot less than what his talent deserved. Still, he had his moments in the game. He was exceptional during the 2005 Ashes triumph. Filntoff finished his career with more than 3000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. He also claimed 400 international wickets with his medium pace.
Post-retirement, Flintoff made his professional boxing debut in November 2012. It was a memorable debut as Flintoff scored a points victory over American boxer Richard Dawson in Manchester.
# 5 Matthew Hayden (Cooking)
As a cricketer, Matthew Hayden was one of the most destructive batsmen in the game. His brutal hitting at the top of the order won Australia many matches. After a slow start to his international career, the former cricketer amassed 8625 runs in Tests and 6133 in ODIs. He formed a memorable opening partnership with Justin Langer in Tests and Adam Gilchrist in one-dayers.
Off the field, Hayden is fond of something a lot more delicate and sumptuous - cooking. He is a qualified chef, who has even written a book on cooking. In addition, Hayden also loves surfing.
#6 Anil Kumble (Wildlife photography)
A legendary former leg-spinner, Anil Kumble was a wholehearted cricketer, known for his dedication and commitment to Indian cricket. Despite his obvious limitations, Kumble ended up being India’s greatest match-winner with the ball. He claimed 619 wickets in 132 Tests and 337 scalps in 271 ODIs.
As Team India coach, Kumble was often seen clicking pictures of players as they celebrated their milestones. In his post-retirement days, Kumble has been exploring his passion for wildlife photography. He keeps sharing amazing pictures on social media. He even published the book 'Wide Angle' some years back.
#7 Dwayne Bravo (Singing)
Dwayne Bravo recently made a comeback to the West Indies T20I squad and has made an impression in the ongoing series against Australia. He has had a brilliant career as an all-rounder both for West Indies and for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. The 37-year-old veteran cricketer has 359 international wickets to his name and has also scored over 6000 runs.
Apart from being an excellent cricketer, Bravo is a very good singer as well. In 2016, Bravo’s single ‘Champion’ became a theme song of sorts for the team as West Indies captured the T20 World Cup that year. The track was a massive hit in India as well. Bravo also released a special song on MS Dhoni’s birthday last year.
#8 Kapil Dev (Golf)
Kapil Dev is undoubtedly one of the greatest cricketers to have ever played the game. One of the finest all-rounders ever, Kapil led India to their first World Cup triumph in 1983 against the mighty West Indies. In a land renowned for producing spinners, Kapil made fast bowling fashionable in India and ended his Test career with a then-record 434 scalps.
In life after retirement, Kapil discovered his love for another sport in which swing plays a prominent role - golf. The former cricketer has been part of a few senior amateur golf tournaments. In March this year, he was inducted as one of the board members of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
#9 Brett Lee (Singer)
As a fast bowler, Brett Lee’s deliveries were not music to the ears as far as the batsmen were concerned. Lee’s bouncers and yorkers were as deadly as they could get, instilling fear in batters’ minds. In fact, Lee and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar were renowned as the fastest bowlers of their time.
The former cricketer, though, has a rhythmic side to him. He is a fine singer, a songwriter as well as a guitarist. Lee, his brother Shane, and another former cricketer, Gavin Robertson, formed a rock band named 'Six & Out'. Lee even sang a duet with legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle back in 2006.
#10 Sandeep Patil (Magazine editor)
As a cricketer, Sandeep Patil could not fulfill his potential. He had amazing talent with the bat, as was evident when he hit Bob Willis for six fours in a Test match. Patil had a highest Test score of 174 against Australia in Adelaide. Yet, he ended up playing just 29 Tests and 45 ODIs.
The former Mumbai cricketer was known as a maverick during his playing days and even dabbled in acting. However, his shrewd cricket brain was put to great use when he later became the editor of a sports magazine named Ekach Shatkar. The Marathi magazine edited by Patil became a huge success, outdoing some of the popular sports journals of that time. Patil is also a very good cook. A few years back, he hosted a chat show in which he also served food to guests.
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