Cricket fans around the globe are always keen on associating cricketers with fun nicknames. Attributing endearing pet names to their beloved players only enhances the essence of the game, wouldn’t you agree? Undoubtedly, the pet names we came across did tickle our humour. However, maybe your vocabulary might already be equipped with intriguing, odd yet amusing monikers but here are a couple of cricketers with fun nicknames you didn’t know about!
Is There a Purpose Behind Cricketers with Fun Nicknames?
To answer your question, no. There is no purpose, but it makes the entire experience quite interesting. Quite often commentators refer to cricketers with their fan-favourite nicknames which brings about a pleasant uproar amongst the crowd. Needless to say, such stress-relieving moments are sometimes necessary, especially during tough matches between popular teams. For instance, matches like India vs Pakistan have many such occasions where the crowd chants their favourite player with their chosen name. Without a doubt, the morale in the stadium boosts immediately. So, let’s dive into the wonderful world of cricket and cricketers with their fancy names!
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Lala or Boom Boom Afridi
Yes, you have guessed it right, we are indeed talking about Shahid Afridi. He is known for his immaculate performance on the cricket field where he has often left his opponents in shock, distress and awe. His fans call him Lala as a form of respect as the term “Lala” refers to an elder brother in the Pushto language.
Other than this, he was given the name “Boom Boom Afridi” by an Indian called Ravi Shastri. The reason behind Ravi’s delightful remark was Afridi’s devastating bating and multiple sixes. Indeed, Lala has always left a huge impact on the field and his audience. No wonder his fan following has only increased ever since he stepped foot in the world of cricket.
Rawalpindi Express
Shoaib Akhtar is a legend who has the honour of holding the most interesting nickname “Rawalpindi Express.” Considering that he hails from Rawalpindi and his incredible bowling technique is easily compared to an express train… Thus, the nickname stands in its rightful place.
Akhtar is still known for his impressive skill set on the field as he never failed to intimidate his opponents with his fast-paced delivery. His strong understanding of the gameplay brought him a lot of fame and his fans are still loyal to him. To this day his audience still considers him as the best man on the field. After all, he is the original and only “Rawalpindi Express.”
Cricketers with Fun Nicknames and the Sultan of Swing
Everyone even remotely affiliated with the world of cricket is well aware that Wasim Akram was the one known as the “Sultan of Swing.” His reverse swing left everyone at the edge of their seats. As the intense gameplay was always felt on the cricket field and never failed to leave the viewers with great admiration. His audience can certainly vouch for his beautiful performance as his name still echoes in the stadiums he played.
In addition to this, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were the perfect cricket duo as their partnership has destroyed numerous matches. After some time the couple was known as the “Sultans of Swing” as they were dominating every match, destroying their opponents, and taking the trophy to their homeland. Indeed, some cricket legends live on in memories even if they seize to play on the field.
World Boss, Universe Boss or Mr. T20
Chris Gayle always dominated the T20 series and is famous for causing destruction on the field. His impeccable skill set always gave him the upper hand against his opponents and he could easily take over any match. The words “Universe Boss” are a representation of his personality, depicting how he is larger than life and can single-handedly change the course of a defeated match.
Gayle’s name is forever associated with T20 as his memorable performances speak volumes. His eerie swagger on the field coupled with his striking physical stature always left a mark on the audience. Not to forget his huge fan following… Who are still buzzing around him like bees drawn to strawberries.
Cricketers with Fun Nicknames ft. Beefy or Guy the Gorilla
It was Ian Botham’s physical structure that awarded him the nickname “Beefy.” Indeed, his nicknames are solely based on his appearance. Not to forget but Ian excelled at his cricket career and was regarded as the best all-rounder cricketer of their time. However, in the department of nicknames, his fate was never on his side…
As a youngin, Ian was given nicknames like the “bungalow” by his friends to imply that Botham did not have a brain. However, he has numerous achievements and he never allowed anything to distract or demotivate him. He always kept his eyes on the prize and at the end of the day, mostly emerged successful.
The Don
You cannot claim to know about cricket if you have not come across Sir Donald George Bradman. He is the only cricketer to be knighted due to his services towards cricket and the Commonwealth. Indeed, this was a prestigious honour in itself and was bestowed upon a man who is quite worthy of it.
Bradman, also known as “the Don” is amongst the crème de la crème of the cricket world as his association with the world of cricket was always beneficial for the game. Undoubtedly, he played a major role in developing the game during the early stages and his hard work certainly paid off. It is a fact that even now, everyone knows his name and is well aware of his contributions to this majestic gentlemen’s game.
Chiku or King Kohli
We have come across numerous cricketers with fun nicknames but Virat Kohli stands out because his nickname has a funny story attached to it. Kohli easily qualifies as the top leading cricketer in the world. His humble sportsmanship along with his impressive skill set has certainly given him fame, name and immense respect which he truly deserves.
King Kohli is adored by his fans who are always left dazed as their favourite player performs amazingly on the field. However, the name “Chiku” was given to him by MS Dhoni. During an interview, Kohli revealed that his coach was the first one to name him Chiku has he had big cheeks. As he had gotten a haircut, his ears and cheeks would stand out. During that time there was a comic in India known as Champak and there was a character named Chiku who was a rabbit. Hence, from that day forward, Kohli was known as Chiku. Not to forget that Chiku is a very sweet fruit and maybe Dhoni was just giving a compliment… Well, I suppose we will never know.
The Little Master or the Master Blaster
Sachin Tendulkar might be a shorty but he is fast and many times he has brought his team home after numerous successful matches. Indeed, Tendulkar is a legend and everyone who knows even just the basic of cricket will certainly know Tendulkar’s name. Moving along, Tendulkar was given the title of little master due to his expertise in batting and his physical structure. Indeed, Tendulkar was not too tall but his command of the bat always amazed everyone.
At the very pinnacle of international cricket, Sachin dominated the bowlers for two decades. So much so that his opponents would easily get intimidated by him. He was given the title of “Master Blaster” due to his immaculate performance and determination. He was known for taking over the match without even trying too hard! Indeed, it is players like Tendulkar who have their names on the Wall of Fame. Well deserved!
List of Cricketers with Fun Nicknames
We have compiled a list for you which has almost all the nicknames of the cricketers. Have a look!
S.No. | Cricketer | Nickname(s) |
1. | Shahid Afridi | Boom Boom Afridi, Lala |
2. | Mushtaq Ahmed | Mushie, Jaadugar |
3. | Saeed Ajmal | The Magician, Saeed Bhai |
4. | Shoaib Akhtar | Rawalpindi Express |
5. | Wasim Akram | Sultan of Swing |
6. | James Anderson | The Burnley Lara, The Burnley Express |
7. | Warwick Armstrong | Big Ship |
8. | Mohammad Ashraful | Matin |
9. | Ravichandran Ashwin | Ash |
10. | Michael Andrew Atherton | Athers, FEC, Iron Mike, Cockroach, Dready |
11. | Trevor Bailey | The Boil, Barnacle |
12. | Jonny Bairstow | YJB |
13. | Omari Banks | Bankie |
14. | Eddie Barlow | Bunter |
15. | Gareth Batty | Boris, Nora |
16. | Michael Beer | Froth |
17. | Ian Bell | Belly, The Sherminator |
18. | Richie Benaud | Diamonds |
19. | Travis Birt | Edgar |
20. | Allan Border | AB, Captain Grumpy |
21. | Ian Botham | Beefy, Guy the Gorilla |
22. | Geoffrey Boycott | Fiery, Boycs, Thatch |
23. | Don Bradman | The Don |
24. | Dwayne Bravo | DJ |
25. | Mike Brearley | Brears, Scagg |
26. | Stuart Broad | Westlife |
27. | Katherine Brunt | Brunty, Nunny |
28. | Jasprit Bumrah | Boom |
29. | Mark Butcher | Butch |
30. | Andy Caddick | Des, Shack, Wingnut |
31. | Yuzvendra Chahal | Yuzi |
32. | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | The Chanderwal |
33. | Ian Chappell | Chappelli |
34. | Roston Chase | Youngross |
35. | Dan Christian | Dan the Man |
36. | Michael Clarke | Pup, Clarkey |
37. | Alastair Cook | Chef, Captain Cook |
38. | Learie Constantine | Electric Heels |
39. | Mark Cosgrove | Cossy, Baby-Boof |
40. | John Crawley | Creepy |
41. | Colin Croft | Bomber |
42. | Kate Cross | Crossy |
43. | Martin Crowe | Hogan |
44. | Pat Cummins | Patto, Cummo |
45. | Nida Dar | Lady Boom Boom |
46. | Ian Davis | Wizard |
47. | Phillip DeFreitas | Daffy |
48. | Aravinda de Silva | Mad Max |
49. | A. B. de Villiers | ABD, Mr. 360° |
50. | Kapil Dev | The Haryana Hurricane |
51. | Ted Dexter | Lord Ted |
52. | Shikhar Dhawan | Gabbar |
53. | M. S. Dhoni | Thala, MSD, Mahi, Captain Cool |
54. | Graham Dilley | Pica, Dill |
55. | Michael Di Venuto | Diva |
56. | Basil D’Oliveira | Dolly, Bas |
57. | Allan Donald | White Lightning |
58. | Brett Dorey | Behemoth |
59. | J. W. H. T. Douglas | Johnny Won’t Hit Today |
60. | Rahul Dravid | The Wall |
61. | K. S. Duleepsinhji | Duleep Mr Smith |
62. | Sophia Dunkley | Dunks |
63. | Charlotte Edwards | Lottie, Chief |
64. | Fidel Edwards | Castro |
65. | Matthew Elliott | Herb |
66. | Sean Ervine | Slug, Siuc |
67. | Imran Farhat | Romi |
68. | James Faulkner | The Finisher |
69. | Steven Finn | The Watford Wall |
70. | Andre Fletcher | The Spice Man |
71. | Andrew Flintoff | Freddie |
72. | Peter Fulton | Two-metre Peter |
73. | Gautam Gambhir | Gauti |
74. | Sourav Ganguly | Prince of Kolkata, God of Offside, Dada |
75. | Joel Garner | Big Bird |
76. | Mike Gatting | Fat Gatt |
77. | Sunil Gavaskar | Little Master, Sunny |
78. | Chris Gayle | World Boss, Mr. T20, Universe Boss |
79. | Herschelle Gibbs | Scooter |
80. | Eddie Gilbert | Fast Eddie |
81. | Adam Gilchrist | Gilly, Churchy |
82. | Ashley Giles | Gilo, Skinny, Splash, The King of Spain, Wheelie Bin |
83. | Jason Gillespie | Dizzy |
84. | David Gower | Stoat |
85. | W. G. Grace | W. G., The Doctor, The Old Man, The Champion |
86. | Rebecca Grundy | Grunners, Carol |
87. | Umar Gul | Guldozer |
88. | Asanka Gurusinha | Gura |
89. | Brad Haddin | BJ, Hadds |
90. | Richard Hadlee | Paddles |
91. | Mohammad Hafeez | Professor, Professor of Sargodha |
92. | Alex Hales | Baz |
93. | Haseeb Hameed | Baby Boycott |
94. | Steve Harmison | Harmy, GBH (Grievous Bodily Harmison) |
95. | Chris Harris | Lugs |
96. | Ryan Harris | Ryano |
97. | Chris Hartley | Hannibal |
98. | Ian Harvey | Harvs, The Freak |
99. | Shane Harwood | Stickers |
100. | John Hastings | The Duke |
101. | Nathan Hauritz | Ritzy |
102. | Matthew Hayden | Haydos, Big Fish |
103. | Rachael Haynes | Des, Dessie |
104. | George Headley | Black Bradman |
105. | Alyssa Healy | Midge |
106. | Hunter Hendry | Stork |
107. | Ben Hilfenhaus | Hilfy |
108. | Jack Hobbs | The Master |
109. | Brad Hodge | Hodgey, Dodgeball |
110. | Matthew Hoggard | Oggie |
111. | Michael Holding | Whispering Death |
112. | James Hopes | Catfish |
113. | A. N. Hornby | Monkey, The Boss |
114. | Merv Hughes | Fruitfly |
115. | Nasser Hussain | Nashwan |
116. | David Hussey | Huss, Bomber, Junior Mr. Cricket |
117. | Michael Hussey | Mr Cricket, Huss |
118. | Inzamam-ul-Haq | Inzi |
119. | Bert Ironmonger | Dainty |
120. | Tamim Iqbal | Dot Baba |
121. | Ravindra Jadeja | Jaddu, Sir Jadeja |
122. | Phil Jaques | Pro |
123. | Douglas Jardine | The Iron Duke |
124. | Sanath Jayasuriya | Matara Mauler, Master Blaster, Sana |
125. | Gilbert Jessop | The Croucher |
126. | Mitchell Johnson | Midge, Notch |
127. | Jess Jonassen | JJ |
128. | Ernie Jones | Jonah |
129. | Mohammad Kaif | Kaifu |
130. | Romesh Kaluwitharana | Little Kalu, Little Dynamite |
131. | Danish Kaneria | Nani-Danny |
132. | Marizanne Kapp | Kappie |
133. | Chamara Kapugedera | Kapu |
134. | Dinesh Karthik | DK |
135. | Michael Kasprowicz | Kasper |
136. | Simon Katich | Kat |
137. | Justin Kemp | Kempie |
138. | Robert Key | Keysy |
139. | Imran Khan | The Lion of Lahore |
140. | Zaheer Khan | Zak |
141. | Usman Khawaja | Uzzie, Captain Grumpy |
142. | Delissa Kimmince | DK |
143. | Michael Klinger | Maxy |
144. | Heather Knight | Trev |
145. | Alan Knott | Knotty, Flea |
146. | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bhuvi, The Swing Prince |
147. | Virat Kohli | Cheeku, King Kohli |
148. | Nuwan Kulasekara | Kule |
149. | Anil Kumble | Apple, Jumbo |
150. | Justin Langer | Alfie, JL |
151. | Meg Lanning | Megastar, Serious Sally |
152. | Brian Lara | The Prince of Port of Spain |
153. | Gavin Larsen | The Postman |
154. | V. V. S. Laxman | Very Very Special |
155. | Bill Lawry | Phantom |
156. | Geoff Lawson | Henry |
157. | Darren Lehmann | Boof |
158. | Brett Lee | Bing, Binga, The Speedster |
159. | H. D. G. Leveson Gower | Shrimp |
160. | Dennis Lillee | FOT |
161. | Clive Lloyd | Super Cat |
162. | David Lloyd | Bumble |
163. | Chris Lynn | Lynnsanity, Bash Brother |
164. | Nathan Lyon | G.O.A.T, Garry, Gazza |
165. | Charles Macartney | Governor-General |
166. | Stuart MacGill | Mac, Magilla |
167. | Ken Mackay | Slasher |
168. | Farveez Maharoof | Fara |
169. | Jimmy Maher | Mahbo |
170. | Sajid Mahmood | Saj, King |
171. | Lasith Malinga | Malinga The Slinga |
172. | Ashley Mallett | Rowdy |
173. | Vic Marks | Skid, Speedy |
174. | Charles Marriott | Father Marriott |
175. | Mitchell Marsh | Bison |
176. | Geoff Marsh | Swampy |
177. | Rod Marsh | Iron Gloves, Bacchus |
178. | Shaun Marsh | SOS |
179. | Frederick Martin | Nutty |
180. | Damien Martyn | Marto |
181. | Lloyd Mash | Bangers |
182. | Khaled Mashud | Pilot |
183. | Angelo Mathews | Angie, Superman, Jocka |
184. | Greg Matthews | Mo |
185. | Glenn Maxwell | Big Show, Maxi/Maxy |
186. | Brendon McCullum | Bash Brother |
187. | Bryce McGain | McGoo |
188. | Glenn McGrath | Pigeon, Millard |
189. | Graham McKenzie | Garth |
190. | Brian McMillan | Big Mac |
191. | Craig McMillan | Macca |
192. | Colin Miller | Funky |
193. | Keith Miller | Nugget |
194. | Misbah-ul-Haq | Lone warrior, Tuk tuk, Man of Crisis |
195. | Amit Mishra | Mishi |
196. | Dave Mohammed | Tadpole |
197. | Beth Mooney | Moons |
198. | Roberta Moretti Avery | Big Mom |
199. | Chris Morris | Tipo |
200. | John Morrison | Mystery |
201. | Mashrafe Mortaza | Koushik |
202. | Muttiah Muralitharan | Murali |
203. | Tim Murtagh | Dial M |
204. | Phil Mustard | Colonel |
205. | Mohammad Nabi | The President |
206. | André Nel | Nella, Gunther |
207. | Mfuneko Ngam | Chew |
208. | Paul Nixon | Badger, Nico |
209. | Monty Noble | Mary Ann |
210. | Ashley Noffke | Noffers |
211. | Marcus North | Snork |
212. | Makhaya Ntini | George, Mdingi Express |
213. | Iain O’Brien | Ober |
214. | Chris Old | Chilly |
215. | Kerry O’Keeffe | Skull |
216. | Bill O’Reilly | Tiger |
217. | Milford Page | Curly |
218. | Shikha Pandey | Sikhipedia |
219. | Monty Panesar | The Mont-ster, Python, The Beard to be Feared, The Sikh of Tweak |
220. | Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi | Tiger |
221. | Jeetan Patel | Dave |
222. | Ellyse Perry | Pez |
223. | Kevin Pietersen | K. P., Kelvin, Kelv, Kapes |
224. | Liam Plunkett | Pudsy |
225. | Kieron Pollard | Polly |
226. | Peter Pollock | Pooch, The Big Dog |
227. | Shaun Pollock | Polly |
228. | Ricky Ponting | Punter |
229. | Matt Prior | The Cheese |
230. | Mustafizur Rahman | Fizz |
231. | Suresh Raina | Mr. IPL, Chinna Thala |
232. | Mark Ramprakash | Ramps |
233. | Arjuna Ranatunga | Captain Cool |
234. | Derek Randall | Arkle, Rags |
235. | K. S. Ranjitsinhji | Ranji |
236. | Abdul Razzaq | The Razzler, Bang Bang Razzaq |
237. | Matt Renshaw | The Turtle |
238. | Viv Richards | Smokin Joe, Smokey, King Viv, The Emperor, The Master Blaster |
239. | Greg Ritchie | Fat Cat |
240. | Jemimah Rodrigues | Lil’ J |
241. | Megan Schutt | Schutter/Shooter |
242. | Virender Sehwag | Viru, Nawab of Najafgarh |
243. | Mohammad Shahzad | Mahi, M. S., Shazi |
244. | Rohit Sharma | Hit-Man, Shana, 264 |
245. | Sandeep Sharma | Sandy |
246. | Anya Shrubsole | Hoof |
247. | Peter Siddle | Sid Vicious |
248. | Harbhajan Singh | Bhajji, Turbanator |
249. | Mandeep Singh | Mandy |
250. | Yuvraj Singh | Yuvi, Prince |
251. | Steve Smith | Smithy, Smudge, GOD |
252. | Fred Spofforth | The Demon |
253. | Alec Stewart | The Gaffer |
254. | Andrew Strauss | Lord Brocket, Straussy, Levi, Muppet, Johann, Mare Man |
255. | Washington Sundar | Washi |
256. | Mark Taylor | Tubby |
257. | Ross Taylor | Rosco, Pallekelle Plunderer |
258. | Sachin Tendulkar | The God of Cricket, Little Master, Bombay Bomber, Tendlya |
259. | Jeff Thomson | Thommo, Two-Up |
260. | Marcus Trescothick | Tresco, Banger |
261. | Fred Trueman | Fiery |
262. | Phil Tufnell | Tuffers, The Cat |
263. | Charles Turner | The Terror |
264. | Frank Tyson | Typhoon |
265. | Derek Underwood | Deadly |
266. | Max Walker | Tangles |
267. | Georgia Wareham | Wolfie |
268. | Shane Warne | The King of Spin |
269. | Mark Waugh | Afghan – the forgotten Waugh, Junior |
270. | Steve Waugh | Tugga |
271. | Paul Wilson | Blocker |
272. | Lauren Winfield | Loz |
273. | Chris Woakes | Wizard |
274. | Danni Wyatt | Waggy |
275. | Suryakumar Yadav | SKY |
276. | Bruce Yardley | Roo |
277. | Monde Zondeki | All Hands |
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That’s All for Tonight, Folks!
Although not every nickname comes with a story, we assure you that each player carries a unique skill set which defines the pet moniker that carry. Indeed, one has to be quite creative and observant to propose a name that can stick for the ages!
We are hoping you were able to find the pet name you were looking for… Or, at least now you are aware of the cricketers with fun nicknames! All in all, we must bid you farewell now and if you do choose to gamble on your favourite, do not forget to do your research. Good luck!
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