Joe Root, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Ramdin, and many more. Here are 15 inconic cricket celebrations that fans will never forget.
Joe Root stole the limelight as England defeated India 2-1 in the just-concluded three-match ODI series. The star batsman was on the Player of the Series award for his match-winning centuries in the second and third ODIs.
However, it wasn't just his exploits with the bat that got Root attention. His 'mic-drop' inspired 'bat-drop' celebration at the end of the third ODI took everyone by surprise. While the responses to it have been mixed, there's no doubt that Root's act at Headingley will be etched in fans' memory for a long, long time.
Root, though, isn't the first cricketer to gain attention for a celebratory act on the field. From Sourav Ganguly's topless stunt at the Lord's balcony to Dinesh Ramdin's bizarre attack on the legendary Vivian Richards, there have been umpteen instances of players celebrating in unique ways. Not just these isolated moments, several cricketers over the years – Sachin Tendulkar, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Shikhar Dhawan, to name a few - have even had their own signature celebrations.
Here's a look at 15 such iconic/signature celebrations by cricketers:
1. Joe Root
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The star England batsman does the 'bat-drop' after the third ODI against India recently.
(Photo credit: Twitter)
2. Sachin Tendulkar
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The Master Blaster always spread his arms and looked up to the sky after scoring a century. He said he remembered his father while doing so.
(Photo credit: AFP)
3. Shikhar Dhawan
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This Shah-Rukh-Khan-style spreading of the arms is a signature century-celebration of the Indian opener.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
4. Sourav Ganguly
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Perhaps, the most iconic celebration of them all. At least for Indian fans. Dadagiri at it's best at the Lord's balcony after India defeated England in the NatWest Series final in 2002.
(Photo credit: Twitter)
5. Andrew Flintoff
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The reason Ganguly took off his shirt at the Lord's balcony: Andrew Flintoff did the same earlier after England defeated India in an ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
(Photo credit: Twitter)
6. Imran Tahir
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Each time the South African leg-spinner takes a wicket, he spreads his arms out full-stretch and runs almost till the boundary with gay abandon.
(Photo credit: AFP)
7. Ravindra Jadeja
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The left-arm spinner and left-handed batsman is big on style. His Rajput-inspired sword-wielding celebration after scoring a half-century is a massive hit among Indian fans.
(Photo credit: AFP)
8. David Warner
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The diminutive Australian opener always jumps and punches the air after getting to a hundred.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
9. Brett Lee
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This is a celebration that has inspired budding fast-bowlers around the world. Who can ever forget the Aussie pacer's chaiyan chaiyan-style punches?
(Photo credit: AFP)
10. Shoaib Akhtar
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Before Tahir, it was the Rawalpindi Express who spread his arms and ran like the wind after taking a wicket.
(Photo credit: AFP)
11. Shahid Afridi
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Another one who spread his arms after getting a scalp. The former Pakistan captain won many fans with this signature move.
(Photo credit: AFP)
12. Nasser Hussain
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England's captain during the NatWest series in 2002, Hussian hit back at critics with a brilliant century in the final against India. He drove home his point by banging his helmet against his name at the back of his shirt.
(Photo credit: Twitter)
13. Misbah-ul-Haq
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This is a sight that no cricket fan will ever forget. Misbah answered his critics, who suggested he was too old to be in the team, by slamming a Test century in England and doing push-ups out in the middle.
(Photo credit: AFP)
14. Dinesh Ramdin
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The West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman took a massive dig the legendary Vivian Richards after the latter questioned his form. After scoring a Test century in Birmingham, he removed a hand-written note from his pocket that said: "Yea Viv talk nah." Ramdin later said he regretted doing this.
(Photo credit: Reuters)
15. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
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A sight that is without a doubt the sweetest ever for Indian cricket fans. Dhoni hitting the World Cup-winning six at the Wankhede in 2011 and swirling his bat is happiness!
(Photo credit: AFP)
