4 Indian cricketers and their wrestling counterparts

Cricket is the second most popular sports in the world with a fan following of 2.5 Billion. The cradle of the sport was the 16th Century England and it was made a national sport in the 18th Century in the country. Now the sport is overwhelmingly popular in the Asian countries especially in India due to its huge population.

Pro Wrestling has had a long connection with India. Back in 1996, WWE (then World Wrestling Federation: WWF) organized their first house show in the country which was a big hit. The crowd was allured with the performance of Bret Hart and co. So, it will be fun to compare some of our favourite Indian cricketers with wrestlers.

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#1 Rohit Sharma and Braun Strowman

The Hitman and The Monster in the bank

Rohit Sharma made the headlines when he started to open the innings for India along with Shikhar Dhawan during Champions Trophy, 2013. Ever since there is no stopping him. He has scored nearly 4500 runs in the 90 odd matches that he has opened the innings which also includes 3 double century and 18 centuries. Rohit is currently one of the most destructive openers in the international circuit and he is someone who can torment any bowling attack on his day.

The monster among men Braun Strowman made his debut in 2015 as part of the Wyatt family but he was not successful in creating an impact. However, after the brand split, Braun Strowman started working as a singles competitor where he is currently enjoying a lot of success.

Reason for comparison:

Both Rohit Sharma and Braun Strowman struggled to get going at the start of their careers. Rohit Sharma was an off-spinner at the start of his career and later due to some injury to his fingers he had to become a batsman but still struggled in the middle order position. It all changed when Dhoni promoted him up the order where he made full use of his opportunity and became the player what he is today.

Similarly, Braun Strowman was once a part of the Rosebuds - A group of people led by Adam Rose, he was entrusted with the role of carrying Adam Rose around the ring while also marking out in an unapologetic fashion. After this regretful stint, he joined the Wyatt family but still couldn't establish himself as a mainstay in WWE. After the brand split, The Wyatt family broke up and Braun Strowman started receiving singles push where he faced the likes of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins and many.

This is when he started to connect well with the audience and became a main eventer in WWE. Rohit and Braun both struggled at the initial stages of their career but later found their comfortable positions and are now enjoying the fruit. Rohit is one of the sweetest timers of the ball and he can decimate any opponent on his day much like Braun Strowman inside a wrestling ring.

#2 Virat Kohli and AJ Styles

Best in the world!!

The Indian captain is probably the best batsman in the world at the moment. Virat Kohli first came into limelight when he was successful in leading India to their second U19 World cup. Soon he was selected in the Indian team but the dawn of Virat Kohli arrived in February 2012 where he single-handedly toyed around the Sri Lankan bowling attack and cemented a name for him. He is also a successful Test match batsman with 6 double centuries next to his name.

The Phenomenal One AJ Styles is one of the best wrestlers walking on the planet today. His success in WWE has surprised many but the talent he possesses and the hard work he puts in is second to none. He is one of the best technical wrestlers and I bet there is no move set inside a wrestling ring that AJ Styles cannot pull off and there is no move performed inside a wrestling ring that AJ Styles cannot counter. He has won championships in every company that he has been a part of and it is safe to say that AJ Styles is indeed Phenomenal.

Reason for comparison:

Well, the reason for comparison is both are best in their line of work and it is as simple as that. Virat Kohli and AJ Styles are two of the most hardworking individuals that you will ever come across. They both wear passion on their sleeve and always give their 120% when they step foot into a ground/ring.

Virat Kohli has been an inspiration to many people including his own teammates and always pushes them to become a better version of themselves and identically AJ Styles has the ability to put on good matches against anyone that he faces and always brings the best out of his opponents.

AJ Styles has won championships in every company that he has been a part likewise Kohli has scored 100s in every Test playing nation's country. Virat won ICC cricketer of the year award in 2017 for stellar performance in that year and AJ Styles won the PWI Wrestler of the year in 2017 for putting up good matches more than anyone.

#3 Mahendra Singh Dhoni and John Cena

Captain Cool and Big Match John

Hailing from a small village in Jharkhand, MS Dhoni became one of the most successful captains in the history of cricket. Dhoni has led India successfully to all the three ICC tournaments and has also won 2 IPL Titles while representing Chennai Super Kings. Not only he is one of the greatest captains, he is also one of the best finishers even today. The numbers of times Dhoni has helped India cross the line is humongous. He also has the quickest pair of gloves behind the wicket.

John Cena is probably the most decorated WWE Superstar of this generation with 16 World Championships under his belt. He has reigned as the top face of the company for well over 12 years now and even though he has now become a part-time wrestler, there is really no one at his level yet on the roster. It is no surprise that John Cena is the highest paid wrestler by WWE.

REASON FOR COMPARISON:

MSD and John Cena are two of the most accomplished people in their respective field. Big matches motivate both John and Mahi in a positive way, Dhoni has won many games for his team in the high-pressure situation be it while batting or be it as a captain. MS Dhoni is arguably the greatest captain in the history of Indian Cricket with a trophy cabinet that boasts all available ICC trophies.

Big Match John constantly puts great matches in the big stage and he is the only active superstar on the main roster to put a 5-star match in WWE. Both John and Mahi bring the best when their back is against the wall and one big similarity is that they both know how to handle both success and criticism. Also, these two are the most selfless persons you will ever see in any sport.

Dhoni has already sacrificed his batting spots for youngsters like Hardik Pandya and Manish Pandey and Cena has put over a lot of superstars of late like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose. John Cena and MSD are the biggest draws in sports entertainment even today. Both of them are now at the later stages of their career, MS has already retired from test format of the game and only plays the limited overs while John has now become a part-time wrestler and has started to pursue his acting career. Also, they are two polarizing stars when it comes to fan following.

#4 Sachin Tendulkar and Ric Flair

GODS

Sachin Tendulkar who is considered as the GOD of cricket is also an inspiration for millions around the globe. He is a legend who changed Indian cricket forever, Tendulkar was the reason why many people fell in love with cricket in the first place. He played for 24 years and broke almost all records by the time he retired. He is also the only cricketer to be awarded Bharat Ratna.

During his prime days, literally, every wrestling fan loved and worshipped Ric Flair. Whether on his own or part of the legendary Four Horsemen stable, Ric Flair was a huge draw. Ric had the ability to rile up the crowd with his arrogance and condescending, bragging interviews, promos and wrestle for 60 minutes against the world's best talents. In fact, during 1980's he was nicknamed as the sixty-minute man because he had some many long matches

Reason for comparison:

These two are icons of their respective fields. Masters of their skills, and role models for all aspirants. Both gentlemen quickly became the forerunners of their respective sport, often touted as the men on whom the entire sport or business relied on. That remained true even at the back end of their careers. Some players become famous due to their sport but Sachin and Ric are the reason that their respective fields are now famous. It's hard to imagine how cricket would have been without Sachin Tendulkar and likewise how professional wrestling would have been without Nature Boy Ric Flair.

Both of them were also part of a four men group, Sachin belonged to Fabulous Four along with Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman and Ric belonged to the Four Horsemen. It's one thing to be best in your field but it's another thing to be best in your field and also inspires the future generation to follow your path. With both of them having long career span -Sachin having 24 years and Ric having 40 years, they truly have inspired lots of people.

Undoubtedly, these two will remain in the history books as the best of their spheres for a long time.