5 witty Indian cricketers on social media
Cricket has always been the most followed sport in India. But a lot has changed since the advent of social media. Nowadays, having a presence on social media is just as important as that on the field.
Understandably, cricketers are often known to engage with their fans and give a sneak peek of their lives on social media. Some are even known for leaving their fans in splits with their humorous side.
From Virender Sehwag to Wasim Jaffer, here are five witty Indian cricketers on social media.
#5. Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh is one of the best all-rounders to have played for Team India. Dangerous with the bat and just as adept with the ball, the former middle-order batter delivered many memorable performances for his side. The most notable among them were his performances in the 2007 T20 World Cup followed by the 2011 World Cup. He was adjudged the 'Man of the Tournament' in the latter.
Synonymous with his prowess on the field, the former Punjab cricketer also has a deadly sense of humour that has come to the fore on social media.
Few people have the ability to laugh at themselves, and the former middle-order batter has it in plenty. He left everyone in splits when he shared a meme on Instagram surrounding his and Ashish Nehra's comeback into the Indian team in 2017.
In 2021, following India's early exit from the T20 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh posted yet another hilarious meme on Instagram. The image shows Virat Kohli wishing Singh was there to strengthen the team's middle-order during the tournament.
"Yuvi Agr Aaj Hota Toh Middle Order Strong Hota (The middle-order would've been strong had Yuvraj been there)."
#4. Virender Sehwag
Be it humming songs or going after the bowlers fearlessly, Virender Sehwag always wore his heart on his sleeve back in his playing days. Not much has changed even after 'Nawab of Najafgarh' hung his boots.
The cricket field has been replaced by social media, but Sehwag continues to entertain his fans with his witty takes on a variety of topics. Back in 2020, when the iconic Ramayana series was re-telecasted, Sehwag took a hilarious take on the show, hailing it as his inspiration while batting.
The Delhi batter's iconic birthday wish for Don Bradman remains yet another example of his indomitable wit.
#3. Harbhajan Singh
With over 400 scalps to his name in Test matches, Harbhajan Singh remains one of India's most successful bowlers. Like Yuvraj Singh, he too had a decisive role to play in India's victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup.
Now a commentator and pundit, 'Bhajji' is often known for his cheeky comments on social media. Back in 2018, Yuvraj Singh complained about an hour-long power outage in Bandra, Mumbai. The off-spinner trolled his former teammate by saying:
"Badshah bill time par diya karo" (Pay your bills on time)
Last year, he teased Deepak Chahar after the latter was awarded one lakh rupees for his staredown against New Zealand batter Martin Guptill. Reacting to Chahar's award, Singh commented:
โKnha tha yeh award pehle..Mai billionaire ho jaata. What a awardโ (Where was this award earlier? I would've been a billionaire. What an award)
#2. Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of India's finest leg spinners in recent times. Chahal, a former chess champion, is excellent at reading a batter's game. Off the field, he has made quite a name for himself largely due to his presence on social media.
Fans are no strangers to his hilarious comments on the posts made by fellow cricketers. During the recent edition of the IPL, Chahal took charge of Rajasthan Royals' official Twitter handle and uploaded a picture of him batting for Team India with the caption:
โ10,000 retweets and he will open with @josbuttler uncleโ
Shortly after, he posted a video from RR's handle thereby proving why he's regarded as one of the wittiest cricketers of recent times.
#1. Wasim Jaffer
Back in his playing days, Wasim Jaffer was known for his serious demeanour on the field. Despite his phenomenal record in the Ranji Trophy, Jaffer's international career was rather short. He represented India in 31 Tests and two ODIs, scoring 1954 runs across the two formats.
In addition to his coaching role that he took up after retirement, Jaffer has also taken up the role of humouring people on social media with his posts. For instance, he took a dig at former England captain Michael Vaughan after the Englishman proclaimed that Kane Williamson would be the best batter in the world if he played for the Men in Blue.
Jaffer responded to this in his usual witty way.
Ahead of Team India's clash against New Zealand in last year's T20 World Cup, the former Mumbai batter trolled umpire Richard Kettleborough in a tweet with the caption:
"Happy Halloween Indian Fans"
For the unversed, Kettleborough has a strange reputation for umpiring in most of India's major defeats in ICC tournaments. This started with the loss in the 2014 T20 World Cup final to that against the Kiwis in the 2019 World Cup.