Star Sports anchor Sahiba Bali gave fans a behind-the-scenes look into mobile phone habits of various Team India stars. Top players like Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja gave fans a refreshing and revealing experience about their mobile habits.
Wallpapers of Top Indian Cricketers
Bali’s exposé saw her screen the mobile phone wallpapers of India’s favourite cricketers, and here’s what she found out:
- Mohammed Shami’s wallpaper is a photo of his daughter,
- Shreyas Iyer’s lock screen photo is a picture of himself and his mother,
- Hardik Pandya revealed his wallpaper as a photo of his children, and
- Ravindra Jadeja waved off attempts to check his wallpaper replying “Nothing, there’s nothing”
Most Played Song of Top Indian Cricketers
Next, Sahiba asked the cricketers to reveal the top song on their music playlist to fans. The cricketers showed their diverse music tastes as:
- Mohammed Shami said Arijit Singh is his favourite musician but didn’t reveal any song on his mobile,
- Shreyas Iyer seems to have Jo Tum Mere Ho as his most favourite song,
- Hardik Pandya’s top song was Hanuman Chalisa (a spiritual bhajan), and
- Ravindra Jadeja chose an oldie romantic song Akhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se as his top tune
10+ Weird ‘Secrets’ of Indian Cricketers
Superstition in sport is no secret and has been a common practice among top players for years. Many talented stars always resort to using ‘good luck charms’ while others adopt a strict routine before games. Let’s check out some of the popular secrets kept by Indian cricketers so far:
1. Sachin’s left pad mystery
Sachin ‘Master Blaster’ Tendulkar was always superstitious throughout all aspects of his preparation. He usually wore his left pad first before manning the crease. Sachin admitted to close sources that the ritual is a product of his beliefs. He believes wearing the left pad first wards off bad luck and maintains his consistent batting performance.
2. Dhoni’s not-out secret
MS Dhoni has maintained an impressive not-out record in IPL cricket. Many fans believed the cricketer has something extraordinary backing this ability. However, deeper analysis has shown Dhoni’s not-out record is average at best among wicketkeeper-batters.
3. Ishan’s Tinder troll
Some sets of fans jokingly allege that Ishan Kishan set up a fake Tinder profile to avoid public scrutiny. Fans were left in shock when an imposter profile of the cricketer appeared on a dating platform. The strange incident showed a dark side of celebrity culture that could put their name and reputation in jeopardy via social media.
4. Ravi Ashwin’s bag
Ravichandran Ashwin has a lucky bag he always goes out with during games. The bag is said to have several personal tokens; however, no one can state the bag’s exact contents. Some reports claim Ashwin told his teammates the bag helps him secure success on the field.
5. WAGs as distractions?
A controversial secret that recently came to light suggests that international players get distracted on tour with their wives and girlfriends (WAGs) present.
Recent strict rules proposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to restrict WAGs from accessing their partners during tournaments gave this rumoured secret more steam.
The proposals for restrictions were ultimately relaxed before India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. However, proposing such rules in the first place did nothing to quell fans’ suspicion.
6. Dhoni’s blind spot superstition
Several reports suggest that Dhoni deliberately skips watching final moments of crucial games. The belief stems from Dhoni’s belief that he may jinx his favoured side’s chances if he continues watching.
7. Zaheer’s yellow hanky
Zaheer Khan doesn’t leave home without his yellow handkerchief. His favourite talisman is a symbol of good luck and he never lets it out of sight.
8. Dhoni’s silence amid accusations
Many cricketers will enter a fit of rage and vehemently deny any sporting allegations against them. However, Dhoni usually favours the direct opposite – absolute silence. It is no secret that popular cricketers encounter allegations of spot-fixing during their careers. Dhoni meets most of these allegations with utter silence and prefers legal action instead.
The veteran also meets other dark rumours with silence and favours handling internal conflicts quietly.
9. Yuvraj’s birthday jersey
Yuvraj Singh chose the number ‘12’ as his jersey across appearances. His selection of this number is tied to his birthdate. Singh believes his birthday is a lucky day and thinks wearing the number brings him good luck while on the pitch.
10. Hidden mementos
Many Team India cricketers are rumoured to always keep personal mementos among their belongings. These items are never publicly spoken of, but these star players rate these mementos as symbols of motivation or good luck.
