Cricket is a religion in India and cricketers receive immense love and affection from fans all over the country. They not only cherish the performance of their most-loved sports persons but are also curious about developments in their personal life.
There are many stories inside the dressing room that shape our Indian cricketers but are never known to the outside world. One of them is about how the cricketers earn their nicknames with which they are popularly called both on the field and off the field. There are surprising stories and incidents behind some of these allotments which remain a mystery to the followers of the game. Here are five such Indian cricketers with amazing nicknames and interesting stories behind them:
#1 Virat Kohli- Chikoo
Virat Kohli is on cloud nine after having a stupendous series against England. He has not only been fantastic with the bat but also has received praises for his captaincy. There is no doubt that Kohli has become a household name after playing scintillating cricket for India across all formats over the years.
The 27- year-old is a motivation to young cricketers and has become quite popular for his all-round cricketing display. But not many people are aware that he is nicknamed ‘Chikoo’ and is called by that in cricket circles including the Indian team.
The story behind this nickname is as fascinating as the name. It was during a Ranji match between Delhi and Mumbai that Kohli got this name.
The Delhi-lad had just started playing first class cricket and was quite excited regarding his new hair look which he got while coming back to the hotel after the match. The new spiked hairstyle combined with long ears and chubby face reminded the then assistant coach Ajit Chaudhary of Chikoo rabbit from the Champak comics, and he called him by it. The name got stuck with Kohli since.
#2 Rohit Sharma- Ro, Shana and Hitman
Rohit Sharma is one of those flamboyant cricketers who have the ability to destroy the opposition with his aggressive batting and powerful hitting. He is the only cricketer to have scored two double centuries in ODI cricket which is a remarkable feat in itself.
Interestingly, the Mumbai boy is known by many nicknames including ‘Ro’, ‘Hitman’ and ‘Shana’ which all have exciting reasons behind. ‘Ro’ was given to him by his wife long time back which became his common name among the team members.
However, cricketer Yuvraj Singh termed him as the ‘Shana’ of Indian cricket team and hence he got the title ‘shana’ from him. Moreover, his second double hundred against Australia in 2013 earned him a lot of praise and prompted someone from the production team to call him ‘Hitman’ which became popular among his fans.
The 29-year-old is currently out of the team due to injury and will be seen in the series against Australia in 2017.
#3 Ajinkya Rahane- Ajju and Jinks
Ajinkya Rahane has come out to be the most promising Indian cricketer in the recent times. He has been improving his game with every match and has now become the vice-captain of the Indian Test team after permanently sealing his place in the ODI team. The Maharashtra born batsman is known for his elegant batting and stylish shot production.
The 28-year-old is known by two nicknames Jinks and Ajju where Ajju is the more commonly used one. His family members including his parents and wife used to call him ‘Ajju’, and that is how it became his nickname. He is referred by that even in his cricket circles.
However; there is a funny reason as to how Rahane got Jinks as his nickname. It was during his stint with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL that Shane Warne called him Jinks after he found it difficult to pronounce ‘Ajinkya’.
#4 Shikhar Dhawan- Gabbar and Jaat-Jee
Shikhar Dhawan has been one of those stylish cricketers who are known for his lavish living style and fancy celebrations on the cricket field. His ‘moustache celebration’ after reaching his maiden century in his debut Test match helped him make a statement for himself.
How Dhawan got the surname Gabbar has an interesting story behind it. Gabbar is the famous villain from the iconic Bollywood movie Sholay. Dhawan had this habit of cheering his teammates while fielding by using the famous dialogues of Gabbar and saying them to the opposition batsman while he used to play in his domestic circuit. This became a habit, and soon he was known as the Gabbar of Indian Cricket. He is also known as ‘Jaat-Jee’ in his personal circles for his positive and aggressive attitude.
The 31-year-old is currently out of the Indian team due to poor form and is hoping to make a comeback with the team soon.
#5 Murali Vijay- The Monk
Murali Vijay has been India’s star batsman in the Test format and has finally established himself as the classic opener of the team. He has matured over the years in his approach to the game and eventually developed patience and temperament to construct his innings more productively.
The 32-year-old once shaved off his head and since then has been awarded the nickname ‘Monk’. Though Vijay himself has never come out in public and explained the reasons for getting shaved, he has already been associated with the nickname. He claims that the reason for shaving the head is personal, but he doesn't mind people calling him by that name.
Vijay has been performing outstandingly in the on-going series against England where he has scored his 8th Test ton in the 4th Test at Mumbai.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
