Cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have earned some famous nicknames over the years. In general, players and nicknames have an intriguing connection. Often, they describe the kind of person a player is or the attributes they possess as a cricketer. Let us take a look at 5 IPL stars with famous nicknames in the cash-rich league.
MS Dhoni (Thala)
MS Dhoni is certainly one of the IPL stars. While he has many nicknames like ‘Captain Cool’, ‘Mahi’ and ‘MSD’, when it comes to the IPL, he is Chennai Super Kings’ Thala. A head or leader is respectfully referred to as Thala in Tamil. Dhoni has led CSK since its inception back in 2008 and the Yellow Army has won the IPL for a record number of 5 times under his leadership.
Glenn Maxwell (Big Show)
Australia’s flamboyant batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was given the nickname ‘Big Show’ after receiving an impressive IPL contract in 2013 despite being new to international cricket. Surely the Australian all-rounder has lived up to his name and has mesmerized fans with several blazing knocks in the cash-rich league.
Suresh Raina (Mr. IPL)
One of the most successful and impactful players of IPL, Suresh Raina was given the title of Mr. IPL for his consistency with the bat. Apart from his batting, Raina was also a gun fielder. CSK fans also refer Suresh Raina as ‘Chinna Thala’ for his contributions to the Yellow Army.
Andre Russell (Russell Muscle)
One of the most important members of KKR side, Andre Russell is surely an IPL legend. Recently in IPL 2024, Russell smashed his 200th IPL six making him only the 9th batter to achieve the feat in the franchise-based league. His ability to hit sixes gave him the title of ‘Russell Muscle’ from his beloved fans.
Chris Gayle (Universe Boss)
Former RCB opener Chris Gayle is often termed as Universe Boss for his achievements especially in the 20-over format. In IPL too, Chris Gayle holds the record for scoring the highest individual score after smashing 175 runs against now defunct Pune Warriors India.
