Cricketers and their lucky charms
From having their birthdates printed on their jerseys, to kissing their bats after every sixer, our cricketers have their share of lucky charms and superstitious beliefs that they pursue religiously, in the hope that lady luck will shine on them. And, with the kind of work cut out for them, they sure do need every bit of luck.
With the IPL World Cup Twenty20 season in full swing, we take a look at the good luck charms and superstitions that cricketers stick to during each match:
MS Dhoni: Captain of the national cricket team, MS Dhoni may have seen his career go through numerous highs and lows, but whatever may be, he sticks on to his lucky number. He always sports a number 7 on his jersey – his birth date.
Virat Kohli: While earlier the captain of the Indian test team used to wear the same pair of gloves with which he had been scoring runs, Virat Kohli has given that up now for a more comfortable pair. However, he wears a black wristband and a religious thread, and counts his kada, which he has worn since 2012, as his luckiest charm.
Zaheer Khan: A yellow handkerchief, that has been a part of every important match that he has played, is the former left-arm paceman’s lucky charm. And, with the impressive innings that he has had, it sure has worked.
Virendra Sehwag: The humble handkerchief did the trick for former Indian cricketer Virendra Sehwag too, but his lucky charm was red in colour. While he initially wore a number 44 jersey, after going through a low patch, he consulted a numerologist and started wearing a numberless jersey for a while.
Sachin Tendulkar: While some, like actor Aamir Khan, consider Sachin Tendulkar to be their lucky charm, the master blaster believes in the power of the left. Before going out to bat, he would always put on his left pad before wearing his right onet. He also considered his bat as his lucky charm, and continued to use it, after repairing it, even after it became battered and chipped. The Little Master also has a lucky rakhi sister in Gwalior, Archana Purohit, whose wishes, he believes, were lucky for him. He would make it a point to meet her at Gwalior each time he played there.
Saurav Ganguly: Former captain and left-handed batsman, Saurav Ganguly, would avoid shaving on the day of his game. Ganguly also always carried around a photo of his guru in his pocket.
Ravichandran Ashwin: During the 2011 World Cup, right handed batsman, Ravichandran Ashwin, carried a bag with him throughout the tournament, despite the fact that he just played in two matches. India did go on to win the World Cup, though.
Michael Clarke: Former international cricketer and captain of the Australian team, Michael Clarke, would listen to loud music before starting his innings, as he believed that would bring him good luck, and help him focus.
Yuvraj Singh: All-rounder Yuvraj Singh also believed in a lucky number. The number, in his case, is 12 - his birth date. Post his treatment for cancer, Yuvi also is seen wearing a black thread on his wrist during his games. With him set to play his first ICC event in two years, here is hoping his charms give him all the luck.
Rahul Dravid: The former Indian captain, often referred to as ‘The Wall’ for his highly technical approach to the game, also believed in putting his best thigh forward. He always padded his right thigh first before batting, in every game.
Mahela Jayawardene: The former Sri Lankan batsman believed in kissing his lady luck, and would kiss his bat before going to bat during each match.
Lasith Malinga: The fiery Sri Lankan fast bowler also believed that a kiss would seal his luck, and would kiss the ball before bowling every single delivery. Well, with his ability to take consecutive wickets, and having the distinction of being the only bowler in the world to have two World Cup hat-tricks and the only player to have taken four wickets in four consecutive balls in any form of international cricket, Slinga Malinga’s luck has surely been shining on him.