Unique nicknames in Cricket [Source: @DHONIism/x.com]
When Cricketers start their journey at the international stage, they are called by the names given by their parents, however, as they progress and perform exceedingly well, fans and pundits give them a nickname that gets etched in the history books. In the history of this sport, several cricketers have had unique and iconic nicknames that got famous.
Here is a list of some of the big international stars who have got unique nicknames given by the fans and experts. (The list is not in any particular order).
List of Cricketers with unique nicknames
10) Allan Donald - White Lightning
In the 1990s, the world witnessed several fast bowlers who terrorised the batters with sheer pace and bounce. However, there was one famous cricketer who scared the best in the business - Allan Donald. The South African pacer was called "The White Lightning", due to his lightning quick pace and extremely fast bowling as he was touted the best bowler of his generation.
9) Michael Holding - The Whispering Death
One of the best bowlers of the famous West Indian team of the 1970s and 80s, Michael Holding was nicknamed "The Whispering Death" due to his undramatic and effective bowling style as he hardly made any noise during his run-up but was fast and furious for the batters.
8) Wasim Akram - Sultan of Swing
Arguably the best left-arm pacer in the history of the game, Wasim Akram could move the ball both ways at extreme pace and some of his deliveries used to unplayable as the batters had no answer for his mastery on swing bowling.
7) Rahul Dravid - The Wall
Known for his defensive ability in Test cricket, Rahul Dravid was hailed "Wall" of Indian Cricket due to his ability to absorb pressure and play a gritty knock when others used to fail against quality attack.
6) Shahid Afridi - Boom, Boom
The pioneer of aggressive cricket in the late 90s, Shahid Afridi was a superstar of Pakistan cricket and had several records under his name. He was called "Boom, Boom", due to his ability to play an aggressive brand of cricket when everyone applied a traditional method.
5) Rohit Sharma - Hitman
The former India Test and T20I captain, Rohit Sharma is arguably one of the finest batters produced by India and he was hailed as "Hitman" due to his ability to take down any attack with utmost ease and that too, with precision.
4) Mike Hussey - Mr Cricket
A late bloomer in International cricket, Mike Hussey, the Australian batter carved a namer for himself in a relatively short career and was called "Mr Cricket" due to his deep understanding of the game, exceptional batting technique, and consistent performance.
3) MS Dhoni - Captain Cool
Arguably India's most successful Indian captain, MS Dhoni had a cool and calm personality and used to deal with difficult situation with relative ease. Due to this ability, he was referred as "Captain Cool."
2) Virat Kohli - Run Machine
More than 27000 international runs, and 82 centuries defines Virat Kohli's career. One of the best batters, if not the best of this generation, Kohli has amassed truckloads of runs and hence, he is referred as the run machine.
1) Sachin Tendulkar - God Of Cricket
Arguably the best player in the history of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has achieved everything in cricket and is the leading run-getter in ODIs, as well as in the Tests. He has the most international centuries (100) and due to his unimaginable achievements, he is called the
"God" of Cricket.