- Nasima Akter
5 Top Cricket Dressing Room Secrets
There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes with various teams. Especially in the dressing rooms and what they do off the fields. While there are different reports and social media posts that give a peek into what goes on with different people, there are still some things shared later by players that surprise fans.
With cricket teams and their dressing rooms, there are plenty of secrets that don't get shared until later on. A lot can go on in a dressing room with no one knowing, but some secrets get shared, These are some of the top dressing room secrets revealed over the years:
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary Handed The World Cup
Meet Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, India's ultimate cricket enthusiast! He's undeniably the biggest fan you'll find in the entire country. Even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar recognized his unwavering support and decided to do something truly amazing for him after India's triumphant World Cup win in 2011.
Can you guess what Sachin did? Well, he graciously invited Sudhir into the Indian dressing room and handed him the prestigious World Cup trophy! Imagine the sheer joy and excitement Sudhir must have felt in that moment. It was a day he'll cherish forever, being one of the biggest Sachin fans on the planet.
This heartwarming gesture showcased the immense respect and admiration the team and Sachin Tendulkar had for Sudhir. It truly highlighted the incredible bond between cricketing legends and their dedicated fans.
Dawood Ibrahim’s Visit to the Indian Dressing Room
Back in the 20th century, things were quite different when it came to entering cricket dressing rooms. Unlike today, where it's almost like committing a crime, there were fewer restrictions. This was especially true in places like Sharjah, where match-fixing was a big concern. Surprisingly, even notorious figures like Dawood Ibrahim were known to visit Team India's dressing room.
According to the recollections of legendary cricketers Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, Dawood entered Team India's dressing room during the famous Sharjah Cup in 1987. The underworld gangster made a bold demand. He promised that if India won the competition, which included strong teams like Pakistan, England, and Australia, each player and official would be gifted an individual Toyota car.
However, despite such tempting offers, the Indian team not only rejected Dawood's demands unanimously but also showed him the exit forcefully. They grabbed his collar and pushed him away, making it clear that they wanted no part in his offers.
Sourav Ganguly Pranked on April Fool’s Day
Let me tell you a funny story that happened on April Fool's Day involving Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team. This happened in 2005 when Ganguly was leading the team and helping young players like Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh.
Here's what went down: It was a match day against Pakistan in Kochi, and Ganguly called for a team meeting, just like any other day. Little did he know that his playful teammates, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Sehwag, had planned a prank for April Fool's Day.
During the meeting, they showed Ganguly a fake newspaper article. It claimed to have an interview where Ganguly criticized his players. Ganguly was surprised and tried to explain that he never said those things in any interview.
But the pranksters and the rest of the team didn't stop. They kept teasing Ganguly until he couldn't handle it anymore. Frustrated, Ganguly decided to give up his captaincy, thinking it was the only way to escape the embarrassing situation. However, that's when the vice-captain, Rahul Dravid, couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. His laughter revealed that it was all just a prank!
Ganguly wasn't embarrassed. Instead, he felt relieved and immediately grabbed his bat to chase after the pranksters. It turned out to be a light-hearted moment that brought laughter and a sense of camaraderie among the teammates.
Yuvraj Singh’s Prank on Virat Kohli
Let's talk about Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli admired Tendulkar a lot and looked up to him as his cricketing idol. Some of the senior players on the team knew about this.
One day, Yuvraj Singh, who loves playing pranks, decided to have some fun with Kohli. He told Kohli that it was a tradition for new players to touch Tendulkar's feet in the dressing room. Kohli, being respectful and wanting to follow team customs, happily agreed. He went up to Tendulkar and tried to touch his feet.
To everyone's surprise, Tendulkar was taken aback and asked Kohli what he was doing. Kohli explained that he thought it was a practice he had to follow. Tendulkar smiled and assured Kohli that there was no such tradition, and the guys had just pulled a prank on him.
It was a light-hearted moment, and Tendulkar's reassurance made Kohli feel better. This incident brought the team closer and added to the fun and friendship among the players. It showed that even the greatest cricketers can enjoy a good laugh and have a playful time together.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Motivation in the 2003 World Cup Final
In the 2003 World Cup final, Team India's bowlers faced a tough time as Australia smashed the ball all over the field. Australia set a daunting target of 359 runs for India to chase. It was a huge challenge, but amidst the pressure, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar found a way to lighten the mood in the dressing room.
Sachin suggested, with a hint of optimism, "Why don't we aim to hit a boundary every over? If we manage to do that, it would give us 200 runs from just 50 balls. Then we would only need to score 160 runs from the remaining 250 balls, which doesn't seem so hard."
Although India ultimately lost the game by a margin of 125 runs, Sachin Tendulkar's words of motivation deserve recognition. His positive mindset and belief in the team's abilities were truly inspiring.
