5 best instances of Twitter Banter between cricketers in 2016

While Twitter hasn't been around for too long, it has certainly provided plenty of entertainment thanks to its ability to bridge the gap between athletes and their fans. But that hasn't been the only reason why social media has become so exciting as it has helped provided current and former cricketers to engage in a conversation.

The likes of Virender Sehwag, James Neesham have proven themselves to be incredibly entertaining on social media with their hilarious tweets and Ravichandran Ashwin has made a name for himself by responding to fans. But when things get most interesting is when two cricketers come together and engage in a conversation.

Here are five of the best twitter banter between cricketers in 2016:

5. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag

You don't usually expect a congratulatory message to turn into a conversation starter but with Virender Sehwag around, you have to expect the unexpected. And that is what happened following India's victory between one of the country's finest opening partners.

Sachin and Sehwag enjoyed a great chemistry and rapport on the field for India, which translated into runs and their friendship was evident as the pair exchanged an effortlessly humorous conversation on Twitter.

Here is the entire conversation:

4. Kevin Pietersen and Ashley Giles

Sometimes the most innocuous things result in great memories. And that is precisely what happened on Twitter after a fan accidentally tagged former England cricketer Ashley Giles in a tweet praising Kevin Pietersen who was playing in the Pakistan Super League at the time.

That accidental tweet led to a hilarious banter on Twitter between Giles, who has always been a staunch admirer of KP and the 36-year-old batsman, who didn’t take too long to troll his former teammate. It all began with Giles admitting KP “rocks”.

But when a fan said he was a true legend and he would be proud if he was from Pakistan, Giles disagreed.

Almost as if he was waiting for someone to bring up something, Kevin Pietersen admitted that Giles was an inspiration to him and that is when the fun began.

Pietersen also had a bit of advice for Giles.

3. Michael Vaughan and Tom Moody

Vaughan is incredibly active on Twitter

Not all conversations have to be fun and entertaining. While there have been plenty of cricketers who have shared a laugh on Twitter and pulled their teammates' leg, two former cricketers showed that a conversation on social media can be insightful as well as interesting.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan is known for his outspoken demeanor and it was no surprise to see him engaging in a conversation about the future of cricket with former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody.

Here is the entire conversation:

2. Usman Khawaja and David Warner

It always helps to have a supportive teammate

It is never nice to have your name misspelled, especially when you join a new team but that is precisely what happened to Australian batsman Usman Khawaja after he was signed on by the Rising Pune Supergiants for the Indian Premier League 2016. But while such gaffes aren’t common, they should been taken with a pinch of salt.

And that is exactly what the southpaw did after coming into the tournament on the back of a brilliant BBL in which he scored 345 runs for the Sydney Thunder at an average of 172.50 and helped them clinch their maiden title over Melbourne Stars in the 2015/16 final. And to help him see the silver lining, his fellow opening partner David Warner joined in.

Warner, who plays for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, helped Khawaja see the brighter side of the mistake by the Rising Pune Supergiants.

Khawaja was disappointed that he couldn’t pick his favourite jersey number either:

1. Virender Sehwag and Ross Taylor

Taylor and Sehwag played together for the Delhi Daredevils

Whether it was on the pitch when he was playing the game or on social media following his retirement from the game, Sehwag has proven himself to be one of the most entertaining cricketers. And he wasn’t one to miss out on an opportunity to poke fun at a fellow cricketer.

And so it happened after a birthday wish meant for Suresh Raina became the precursor to some banter between Sehwag and Ross Taylor, with the former also hinting at his eye condition that bothered him following the tour to India.

And that is when it happened. Out of nowhere, Ross Taylor replied to Raina's response.

It might have been a mistake but Sehwag wasn't letting go and Taylor had to quickly clear the air.