5 Cricketers and their on-field superstitions

Superstitions and sports have long been closely related; some of the most well-known athletes have the most odd rituals and beliefs during games. Cricket is a gentleman's game. Even the gentlemen in the game are people, and like everyone else, they have their own superstitions.

Some of the most well-known cricket players have been known to adhere to strange superstitions over the years. We examine a few, even though we are certain that they had nothing to do with their accomplishment.

1. Steve Waugh’s Mysterious Red Handkerchief 

Steve Waugh captained the Australian cricket team, leading them to an undefeated triumph at the 1999 Cricket World Cup and a record sixteen straight test victories.

Steve Waugh, a former Australian cricket player, attributes all of his remarkable accomplishments to the enigmatic red handkerchief he always carried in his pocket throughout the most important games for the Australian team. Throughout his cricket career, Steve Waugh's enigmatic "red handkerchief" was clearly a major topic of discussion in the cricket community and was seen as a fortunate charm for the captain.

2. Mohinder Amarnath and his Red handkerchief

Speaking of cricket players and handkerchiefs, Steve Waugh and Zaheer Khan were both well-known individuals who used a unique handkerchief for important occasions, albeit they weren't the first. Legendary Indian player Mohinder Amarnath, who took the last wicket in the 1983 World Cup final, carried his lucky red handkerchief in his pocket throughout his career. 

It's unclear if he shared Tiger Woods' conviction that the colour red is a sign of power. In the future, former Australian captain Steve Waugh followed suit, although it's obvious that the Indians started the trend.

3. Lasith Malinga – The Ball-Kissing Ritual

One of Lasith Malinga's peculiar and well-known superstitions was kissing the ball before each delivery. As part of his pre-delivery ritual, the Sri Lankan pace legend was frequently spotted placing the ball close to his lips and giving it a gentle kiss. 

Although Malinga never formally explained the reason behind this custom, it became a defining feature of his bowling run-up and was perceived as a means of concentrating before delivering his well-known yorkers that crush the toes or as a personal good-luck charm.

4. Anil Kumble handing his sweater and cap to Tendulkar

India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, Kumble, created history in 2000 by picking 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in Delhi. Jumbo became only the second player to do so, after Jim Laker, and not many players can claim this accomplishment; therefore, it was a historic day. However, during Kumble's legendary spell, an intriguing thing happened. 

He gave Sachin Tendulkar his cap and sweater each time he entered the bowl rather than the umpire. Up until Kumble took the final wicket, they both followed the same pattern. With 337 ODI and 619 test wickets, the Karnataka-born leggie retired.

5. Sachin Tendulkar’s “left-pad-first” Charm 

For millions of people in India, cricket is a religion, and Sachin Tendulkar is a god in that religion. However, it turns out that even the God of crickets has his own superstitions. In the past, Sachin Tendulkar would always put on his left pad first. He thought it improved his consistency and helped him enter the zone mentally.

It's interesting to note that only a few of his supporters know that Tendulkar's brother gave him the pads he used in the early years of his cricket career. Tendulkar believed that wearing the same pad on his left leg in every match of his career was fortunate for him.

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