8 longest names in Indian cricket

Laxman is counted among India’s top batsmen of all time

Although names do not have a bearing on the talent of a cricketer or any other sportsman, for that matter, they do hold a significance of their own. While some names become popular because of the players, there have been players who became famous because of their unique names.

Speaking of unique names, a number of cricketers over the years have had exceptionally long names. The Sri Lankan cricket team has perhaps been the most gifted in this respect with players like WPUJC (Chaminda) Vaas, HMRKB (Rangana) Herath and UWMBCA (Chanaka) Welegedara among others in their ranks.There have also been quite a few long names in India’s cricket history.

Here is a look at 8 Indian players with the longest names:


#8 Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman

VVS Laxman is known to be one of the most stylish batsmen to have played international cricket. Moreover, he was among the mainstays of the Indian batting line-up alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid for almost a decade.

Another thing that stands out about the retired Hyderabadi cricketer is his unusually long name, Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman. However, VVS Laxman is a name which stuck with him throughout his career and it has been the same post his retirement, too.

#7 Stuart Terence Roger Binny

Stuart Binny has represented India across all formats

Karnataka all-rounder Stuart Binny has made appearances for the Indian team across all three formats in recent years. Binny holds the record for the best figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs of 6 for 4, which he picked up in a match against Bangladesh in 2014.

The 32-year old’s full name is Stuart Terence Roger Binny and it is among the longest names for an Indian cricketer. He is a 2nd generation cricketer as his father Roger Binny is also a former all-rounder who played for India in the late 1970s and most part of the 1980s.

#6 Chetandra Pratap Singh Chauhan

Chauhan was a gutsy opening batsman during his playing days

Former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan is among the better openers to have played for the country in Test cricket. Chauhan formed a terrific opening pair with ‘Little Master’ Sunil Gavaskar and they scored more than 3000 runs together in nearly 60 Test innings.

The Bareilly-born cricketer’s full name is Chetandra Pratap Singh Chauhan, one of the longest among cricketers who have represented India. Chauhan has also made a career in politics post his retirement and served as a 2-time MP for the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

#5 Syed Mujtaba Hussein Kirmani

Kirmani is one of India’s finest keepers of all time

Former Indian cricketer Syed Kirmani is remembered as one of the best wicketkeepers that India has ever produced. He was also a pretty handy batsman lower down the order and has close to 3000 runs and a couple of Test centuries to his name.

Kirmani, who was born in Chennai (then Madras), also boasts of one of longest names in Indian cricket – Syed Mujtaba Hussein Kirmani. Apart from being an accomplished cricketer, Syed Kirmani has also appeared in films and continues to do so at present.

#4 Roger Michael Humphrey Binny

Roger Binny used to be a skilful all-rounder for India

Roger Binny is a former Indian all-rounder who represented the country in both Tests and ODIs. Binny was a member of India’s first World Cup-winning team in 1983 and also featured in the 1985 World Series triumph for the team Down Under, playing an important role with the ball in both wins.

His full name, Roger Michael Humphrey Binny, is among some of the longer names that have come across in Indian cricket over the years. Binny was the first player of Anglo-Indian descent to have played for Team India and his son Stuart, too, has followed in his footsteps.

#3 Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad

Prasad formed a great pair with his statemate Javagal Srinath

Former Indian medium pacer Venkatesh Prasad used to be a regular member of the national team in the late 1990s. He played in both formats for the country and featured in India’s 1996 and 1999 World Cup squads, his most memorable moment being his altercation with Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail in the 1996 edition.

The lanky paceman has a really long full name which goes pretty well with his height – Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad. After retiring from the game, Prasad served a long time as a bowling coach for the Indian cricket team and did a very decent job with the bowlers.

#2 Erapalli Anantharao Srinivas Prasanna

Prasanna is among India’s best spinners ever

Erapalli Prasanna is undoubtedly one of the greatest spinners to have played Test cricket for India. The master off-spinner who hailed from the city of Bangalore played 49 Tests for the country and claimed close to 200 wickets, including as many as 10 five-wicket hauls.

Prasanna also boasts of having one of the longest names in the history of Indian cricket with his full name being Erapalli Anantharao Srinivas Prasanna. Until the year 2013 when Ravichandran Ashwin broke his record, Erapalli Prasanna was the fastest Indian bowler to reach the 100-wicket milestone.

#1 Ghulam Ahmed Hasan Mohammed Parkar

Parkar has represented India in both Tests and ODIs

Former Mumbai opening batsman Ghulam Parkar represented India in a solitary Test and 10 ODIs between the years 1982 and 1984. His brief foray into international cricket, though, was a largely forgettable one as he managed just 7 runs in his only Test and another 165 in 10 ODI innings.

Although he may not have achieved much success as an Indian cricketer, Ghulam Ahmed Hasan Mohammed Parkar certainly has the longest name among all players who have made appearances for the national team in any format.

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Edited by Staff Editor