Cheeku, Gabbar, Steyn Gun, Whispering Death: Cricketers and their iconic sobriquets

From Shikhar Dhawan to Ricky Ponting, some cricketers have some super cool and well-thought nicknames. Check out the list here: 

'Punter' is the nickname of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. He got it by his teammate Shane Warne while he was a part of the Australian Cricket Academy. It is learned that Shane Warne came up with the memorable nickname as Ponting used to bet on races when he was younger. 

The batting legend and former captain Rahul Dravid was recently named the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Dravid, 48, was nicknamed "The Wall" or "Mr. Dependable" for his classical style and rock-solid defence. 

Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan is popular as 'Gabbar' among the team members due to his moustache style as some associate him with an iconic Bollywood film 'Sholay'. It is also learned that he used to cheer his teammates on the field by movie's dialogue during his time in domestic cricket. 

Former South African cricketer Dale Steyn's nickname is 'Steyn Gun'. The iconic and perhaps the well-thought sobriquet was given to him because of his exceptional fact bowling skills. His lethal outswingers and ability to swing the ball both ways was nothing less than a real gun for the batters of his time. 

The former skipper of the Indian team Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who leads the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), enjoys a massive fan following. He is also given the nickname 'Thala' by CSK fans, which means head or leader in Tamil. For his cool and calm composure even during high-pressure matches earned him another apt sobriquet, that is 'Captain Cool'. 

Maybe one of the most popular nicknames in the Indian camp, 'Cheeku'  is none other than India's star player Virat Kohli. He once told in an interview that he got the nickname when he used to play domestic cricket because of his chubby cheeks as his coach started calling him by the cute name. Virat had also revealed that he got the name from a cartoon character — the rabbit from the comic book 'Champak'. 

Former South African cricketer AB De Villiers has been nicknamed for his extraordinary ability to hit the ball in all directions. Although, he retired from international cricket but continues to charm whenever he plays for franchise cricket. 

Well, this particular nickname is probably one of the most popular in the cricketing world. India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar is called 'The Little Master', however, the title was first associated with former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Sachin is also popular as 'Master Blaster' for his outstanding batting skills. 

Former West Indies cricketer Michael Holding is regarded as one of the greatest pace bowlers in cricket history. His nickname 'Whispering Death' was inspired by his silent and the light-footed run-up to the bowling crease. Another apt and well-thought nickname. 

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was nicknamed 'The Rawalpindi Express' because of his searing pacers. He is considered one of the fastest bowlers in the history of international cricket. He once bowled a delivery at 161.3 km/h in an ODI match. Batters used to fear while facing him.