5 cricketers with a non-cricketing sportsperson as a doppleganger ft. Waqar Younis & Arshad Nadeem
In our everyday life, we must have heard someone from our family or friends looking similar to a particular person. The two idential persons are often called look-alikes or doppelgangers.
A study by Teghan Lucas from the University of Adelaide states that there stands a chance of only one in 135 that a single pair of doppelgangers exist. However, due to sheer co-incidence, we encounter many individuals, who have similarity in facial structure and few other features.
In the cricketing field as well, many players are often compared to their look-alikes in the sporting field or in general. Today, let's discuss a few cricketers who have identical facial structures like a sportsperson from a different field.
#1 Suyash Sharma - Neeraj Chopra
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Suyash Sharma and Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra bear strong resemblance to each other. They wear a head band to keep their hair in check as well.
When talked about their careers, Sharma has represented KKR in 13 games and grabbed 10 wickets at an economy of 8.65. He is likely to play for Delhi in the upcoming domestic season.
Meanwhile, Chopra has turned out to be a legendary track and field athlete for India. After clinching a silver medal at Paris Olympics, he became only the second male athlete from post-independent India to win two Olympic medals in an individual event after wrestler Sushil Kumar.
#2 Ishant Sharma - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma and former Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic share a few things in common. They have a pointed nose, similar beard style and long hair. Moreover, they have both sported a ponytail at some point, which further results in them looking similar on the field.
Sharma has played nearly 200 games for India across all formats, and picked up more than 400 wickets. He played a key role in India's title victory in the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Ibrahimovic is regarded as one of the finest strikers to grace the field, winning 34 trophies and scoring more than 550 goals in his career.
#3 Ian Bell - Stan Wawrinka
Former England batter Ian Bell and Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka are another pair of personalities, who are look-alikes of each other. Both athletes have had a commendable career in their respective field.
Bell amassed over 13,000 runs in 287 appearances with 26 centuries and 82 fifties across all formats for the English team. Meanwhile, Wawrinka is a three-time Grand Slam champion and achieved the World No. 3 ranking in 2014.
#4 Waqar Younis - Arshad Nadeem
Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis and javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem are the newest additions to the pair of doppelgangers. This is primarily due to their body and facial structure.
Younis has often been called as one of the legendary bowlers due to his wicket-taking acumen and pace. The right-arm fast bowler played 349 games for Pakistan and picked up a total of 749 wickets.
Meanwhile, Nadeem recently etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Pakistan athlete to clinch an individual gold medal at the Olympics. He also made a new Olympic record with his 92.97m throw in the men's javelin final.
#5 Yasir Shah - Lionel Messi
Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah is often likened to Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi due to their faces, smiles and similar height. In fact, in the past, Shah revealed that there have been many instances of people thinking of him as Messi.
Below is the video in which Shah tells a story of him being stopped for one hour at Dubai airport, with the officials claiming that he was Messi and traveling with a Pakistan passport.
To date, Shah has played 75 international games for Pakistan across all formats and scalped 268 wickets. He last represented the nation in a Test fixture against Sri Lanka in 2022.
On the other hand, a large chunk of football fans deem Messi as the greatest ever to grace the field. An eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi has scored over 800 goals in his entire career. He also helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.