The game of cricket has always been an emotion for all the fans worldwide. There is an immense challenge, and fans love it to the core. Through their extraordinary displays of bravery and courage on the pitch, some of the players became inspirational and idolized members of the cricket fanatics. Here are the ten world-class players and their cricket idols :
1. Rahul Dravid is a big fan of Steve Waugh
Rahul looked up to Steve Waugh during his playing days and said he emulated the former Australia captain's quirks to build a successful career. The flamboyant hitter has always been a massive fan of Steve Waugh for his determination in playing the game. He also quoted: “I saw my guideline map in Steve Waugh to set my career. Steve Waugh is my role model.”
2. Steve Smiths' cricketing idol is Ricky Ponting
The right-hander Steve Smith made a perfect comeback by gathering over 750 runs in just eight innings, even after being inactive for a year. It didn’t even take him 1 month to return to the number one position in test rankings. It seems he has taken a leaf out of Ricky Ponting’s book, who also happens to be his cricketing idol, and recently praised Smith for his exploits in ashes.
3. MS Dhoni admires Adam Gilchrist
The legendary cricketer from India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also has an inspiration in the game of cricket. Even though he always loved Sachin Tendulkar for his fantastic cricket skills, he admired Adam Gilchrist for his work as a wicketkeeper. He also quoted- "I would be delighted to play the title role of Gilchrist always. He is someone I admire.”
4. Sachin Tendulkar idolizes Sir Vivian Richards
Sachin Tendulkar, who is an idol to many aspiring cricketers, idolized and followed Viv Richards as he grew up as a cricketer. Tendulkar has always counted Richards as one of his all-time cricket idols. Tendulkar had also revealed in his autobiography Playing it My Way that he had considered retiring from international cricket after India were eliminated at the 2007 World Cup but changed his mind after speaking to Richards.
5. Virat Kohli idolizes Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli like all other fans around the world, grew up idolizing Tendulkar. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have always had a good relationship on and off the pitch. Kohli always shared his views on Sachin Tendulkar and also said: "Everyone knows who I adored as a kid. He (Sachin Tendulkar) will always be my idol who got me into cricket.”
6. Jos Buttler is a fan of MS Dhoni
Buttler, one of the best white ball cricketers of modern times, spoke about how fascinated he was by Dhoni's thinking as a cricketer. He quoted: "As a fellow wicketkeeper, he was an idol of mine growing up – Captain Cool. I love his personality on the pitch, he's very calm and in control when he scores. He has lightning-speedy hands behind the stumps. He loves getting deep into the game, and I think his unique style is a great ambassador for the game. I'm a big MS Dhoni fan!”
7. Rashid Khan and Shahid Afridi
Sunrisers Hyderabad Rashid Khan is among the leading wicket-takers in Indian Premier League history. His career has often compared to former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi. Khan is one of Afridi's biggest fans and tries to emulate him with the bat.
8. Hardik Pandya and Irfan Pathan
"Irfan Pathan is my cricket idol" With exceptional batting ability, exciting display of field strengths, and few valuable contributions with the ball, Hardik Himanshu Pandya made a huge impact in the game of cricket. Hardik followed in his childhood hero's footsteps and thanked him for all his support.
9. Kagiso Rabada's cricketing idol is Dale Steyn
At present, the cricketer who can bring back the glory days of South African cricket is none other than Kagiso Rabada. Kagiso Rabada has said he admires Dale's line and length stuff and counts himself lucky as he shared the dressing room with Steyn in his early days.
10. Jofra Archer and Craig Kieswetter
Jofra Archer is one of the deadliest bowlers in cricket today. Jofra takes inspiration from former England wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter and wears shirt No. 22 in honor of the player.
