Apart from producing some wonderful moments on the field for their respective teams and mesmerising fans with their incredible skills, there are a host of international cricketers who have taken a keen interest in getting their bodies inked with various tattoos.
While some of these players have given a lot of thought on their tattoo by getting something meaningful and deep, there are a few of them who have gotten a tattoo which is more visually pleasing than meaningful.
In this article, we take a look at the tattooed players XI.
Note : This list is based on the player’s tattoos and not their playing ability, and includes current and former cricketers.
#11 Herschelle Gibbs
Herschelle Gibbs was one of the most successful batsmen during his time. He was known for his aggression with the bat and his brilliant fielding as well. He has played over 300 matches for South Africa in total with an average which was around 40. He is best known for his incredible knock in the ODI between Australia and South Africa where the latter chased down a total of 434, thus making it the highest successful ODI run chase till date.
The stylish player he is, he has adorned a few tattoos on his body as well. He has a cross on his left arm and barbed wire on his right arm. Surprisingly, he was denied entry into a nightclub in Australia after a Big Bash match in 2012 due to his tattoos.
#10 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is one of the most stylish players in the current Indian squad. He is the “Stud” of the India squad as he is quite fondly called “Sir” by fans and teammates alike. Jadeja is a quality all-rounder who is currently one of the top 10 bowlers in the world. He has taken over 250 wickets for India in all 3 formats of the game and has proved to be a useful batsman as well.
He has adorned two tattoos on his body. One of which is his nickname “Jaddu” surrounded by a flower, and the other one is of a dragon – on his back.
#9 Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga is one of the best bowlers in the world right now and arguably the most dangerous bowler as well. He has gained a reputation for delivering searing inswinging yorkers from a round-arm action as destructive as it was distinctive. His toe-crunching yorkers have proved to be a nightmare for all opposition batsman. He was the winning captain of the Sri Lankan World T20 side in 2014.
He has a few important and memorable dates inscribed on his arm. One is the date when he started playing for the Sri Lankan Team and the other one is when he took four wickets in consecutive four balls against South Africa. He also has his wife’s name inked on his right forearm.
#8 Chris Gayle
Arguably the most destructive batsman in the world, Chris Gayle has mesmerized us with his ability to smash the ball all around the park with such ease. On his day, he can destroy the best of bowlers and can make any situation look like a piece of cake. He was part of the West Indies T20 team which won the World T20 twice. He is also an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore outfit.
Off the field, Gayle has a very stylish persona. He has adorned a couple of tattoos on his body. He has a galaxy of stars inked onto his left hand and an African tribal design on his right.
#7 Brendon McCullum
Just like Gayle, Brendon Mccullum too was one of the most destructive and dangerous batsmen in the world. A wicketkeeper-batsman, McCullum was used throughout the New Zealand batting order, but whenever he arrived at the crease it was impossible to look away. He recently retired from all forms of the game, but continues to play in various domestic circuits, including the IPL for the Gujarat Lions.
Mccullum has an interesting concept for his tattoo. Other than wearing his number on the cap, he also has it tattooed on his upper right arm. This number depicts his position on the lists of players who’ve represented the Kiwis in Test cricket, one-day internationals and T20 matches.
#6 Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke emerged during the “golden” period of Australian cricket and did not take much time to make an impact. At one point, he was even the best batsman in the world. He took over the Australian captaincy from Ricky Ponting in 2011 and had reasonable success as he led Australia to a Ashes whitewash and the 2015 World Cup. He has retired from all formats of the game.
Michael Clarke has a couple of tattoos on his body. He has an Arabic tattoo which translates to “The pain of discipline is something similar to the pain of disappointment”. He also has his parents’ name inscribed on his body, along with another tattoo on his right arm.
#5 Mitchell Johnson
Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson was one the most fearsome fast bowlers in the world. Mitchell Johnson at his best was as fearsome as fast bowlers come. He was also known for his aggression on the field as he did not shy away from sledging his opponents time and again.
The Australian bowler has a yen for Japanese art, sleeving his right arm with traditional good luck charms like the koi and cherry blossoms. He also has a crouching tiger inked onto his torso.
#4 Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn is by far the best fast bowler to come out of the South African ranks. Extreme pace, the ability to swing the ball both ways, and accuracy have perhaps made him the country's best ever. Much like Johnson, he too is one of the fearsome bowlers in the world.
This South African pace bowler wears his patriotism just below his sleeve. His left bicep is decorated with three protea blossoms in the national colours of blue, red and yellow.
#3 Virat Kohli
This is one of the rare lists that Virat Kohli is not at the top of. Arguably the best batsman in the world today, Kohli has produced some magical performances over the past few years with the bat. India’s Test captain has carved out a name for himself in the world of cricket with his aggressive style and no-holds-barred attitude. His ability to chase down high scores in crunch pressure situations with such ease is truly a treat for the eyes.
The star cricketer has a predilection for getting inked, though his tastes swing wildly from the mundane “Scorpio” tattoo to the metaphoric Japanese samurai with a raised sword on his left arm.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan
The Gabbar of the Indian team, Shikhar Dhawan has played an integral role in India’s success over the years. He has proved to be a big match player time and again as he was one of the highest run getters in the 2015 World Cup in Australia. Due to inconsistency is his performances, many have questioned his selection in the upcoming test series against New Zealand.
He has even more tattoos than Kevin Pietersen. Figures from Indian mythology — there’s Arjuna, the character from Mahabharat symbolizing determination, Lord Shiva and Baba Deep Singh share elbow room on his right arm. That powerful left arm is engraved with a tribal design on the shoulder and a ‘Carpe Diem’ stencil.
#1 Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen was one of the most captivating cricketers to put on an England shirt. He was known for his flambouyant strokes while batting and also had a few unothodox shots up his sleeve. He has been involved in a lot of controversies as most recently, he was dumped out of the England squad in 2014.
Pietersen has a lot of tattoos inked all over his body. The names of his wife Jessica and son Dylan are tattooed onto his right arm, while his left sports 3 lions and the Roman numerals DCXXVI, highlighting his role as the 626th cricketer to play for England. The latest addition to his collection is the world map on his left torso, with red stars indicating the places where he scored centuries.
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