Nicknames of cricketers and their origin
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We associate certain cricketers with their nicknames - rather than their original names - so much that it almost becomes the âchicken before the eggâ story. But unlike the other story, here, we have definite answers. Itâs time to go back and revisit the origins of the famous nicknames of cricketers.
Sachin Tendulkar - Little Master / Master Blaster
How can we not start with the âGod of Cricketâ. Oh wait, but Iâve not mentioned that nickname. Thatâs because there is no origin for the âGod of Cricketâ nickname. Basically, cricket in India is a religion and given Sachin is/was the biggest name in the country, he was referred to as âGodâ. The Little Master name, however, has its own significance. The name was first given to the legendary Pakistan batsman Hanif Mohammad, after which the baton was passed to Sunil Gavaskar. Sachin has since inherited the nickname from the great Gavaskar. A common thing to be noted is that all three of Sachin, Gavaskar and Hanif Mohammad are geniuses who are short in stature. The âMaster Blasterâ nickname, on the other hand, is nothing but a derivation of the Little Master name. We could go on and on and on, but weâll stop with these three names for now.
Rahul Dravid - The Wall
Commonly referred to as âThe Wallâ or âThe Great Wall of Indiaâ, Rahul Dravidâs nickname is more or less self-explanatory. Within the first six or so years of his Test career, Dravid developed an untarnished reputation for himself. He became this impregnable, impenetrable beast that bowlers couldnât just pierce through. His 270 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi - which is till date the longest innings by an Indian - sealed his place in the history books and ensured that he will leave an unthinkable legacy when he retires. Dravid, in many interviews, revealed that the name âWallâ became famous after a newspaper used the word to describe him after one of his marathon knocks. The rest, as they say, is history.
Sourav Ganguly - Dada
When Sourav Ganguly took over as captain of the Indian team, the side was in dire straits, post the disgraceful match-fixing scandal that had broken out involving former skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. Ganguly not only instilled self-belief amongst each and every individual in the team but also transformed the side from mere pushovers to actual contenders. Thus, he was awarded the title of âDadaâ, meaning elder brother in Bengali, the language spoken in his land of birth West Bengal. Born in a Royal family, Ganguly is also otherwise known as the âPrince of Kolkataâ. The great Geoffery Boycott, of course, made that term famous, due to his fancy way of pronouncing âCalcuttaâ.Â
Anil Kumble - Jumbo
Of all the nicknames one could get, it had to be âJumboâ for Anil Kumble. No, it does not refer to an elephant, in case youâre wondering. Kumble revealed in an interview that the name was given to him by none other than Navjot Singh Sidhu, who, standing at mid-on, yelled âJumbo Jetâ when one of Kumbleâs deliveries took off in an Irani Trophy match. The primary reason behind the âjumbo jetâ reference is the pace with which Kumble bowled, which was outrageously quick for a spinner. Yet he managed to turn the ball. That was the beauty of his bowling. And, in case youâre wondering, a jumbo jet is very, very fast. Eventually, the âjetâ part dissipated and everyone were left with just Jumbo.
Ricky Ponting - Punter
Till date, almost every Australian cricketer, past and present, refers to Ricky Ponting as âPunterâ. But why? Well, we have to go back in time to the early/mid-90s to understand the origin. Ponting, back in the day, was quite an ardent and happy-go-lucky young man. Cricket aside, the former Aussie skipper had immense interest when it came to betting on races, specifically dog races and horse races. And as he indulged in, or rather took punts on dog-racing to an extraordinary extent, the legendary Shane Warne decided to bestow him with the nickname âPunterâ. Some 25 years later, here we are.Â
Shahid Afridi - BOOM BOOM
When Shahid Afridi walked in to bat, you knew there were going to be firecrackers. At one point, there were only two outcomes every time he batted - six or out. As a 16-year-old, Afridi, in his first-ever ODI innings, smacked what was the fastest ODI century of all time back in the day, 100 off just 37 balls, a record that stood for 18 years until 2014. This monstrous ability of Afridi meant that he developed a reputation for himself as a brutal hitter and thus came the nickname BOOM BOOM, referring to his ability to blast the ball out of the ground.Â
