Rumours and fan theories for long have been an integral part of sports, especially during the pre internet era where access to quick and easy fact checking wasn't readily available. Nevertheless some of these harmless and funny rumors that we so innocently believed in, and excitingly discussed with our friends and siblings became a beautiful part of our childhood memories, thinking of which now brings a smile on our faces and gives us a sweet trip to nostalgia.
Here, we discuss some of these cricketing rumours every 90s kid believed to be true.
1. Ponting played with a spring bat during the 2003 WC finals against India
Probably the most popular and widely believed rumour during our childhood, this rumour surfaced after India's disappointing loss against Australia in the 2003 World Cup Final in Johannesburg, South Africa. Australian captain Ricky Ponting had scored a power packed 140 off 121, launching the most brutal assault on Indian bowlers, owing to which Australia had set India a target of 360 runs. India failed to chase the target and were wiped off on just 234 runs, scripting the most heartbreaking loss at the World Cup final. The Indian fans, too heartbroken and dejected at the outcome, started to come up with various theories regarding Ponting's 'spring bat' that helped him play one of the most unbelievable innings of those times. Some went a step further and even believed in the possibility of a rematch because 'Ponting had clearly cheated yaa.'
2. Milk is the secret of MS Dhoni's power hitting
MS Dhoni retired from international cricket last year, putting an end to his illustrious career as the most successful captain of all time along with the reputation of being the best finisher in the world. However when Mahi made his international debut in 2005, cricket lovers all over the world were mesmerized by his power hitting and ability to hit innovative and unorthodox shots. This gave birth to many stories and rumours about Dhoni's source of power. The most popular amongst them was of Dhoni drinking 5 liters of milk everyday to strengthen his muscles. The rumor was ruled out by MS himself, saying he could barely have one litre of milk in a day, let alone having five.
3. AB de Villiers qualified for the South African National teams in various sports
South African great AB de Villiers is a limitless player with extraordinary abilities on the cricket field. His ability to entertain the crowd and single handedly change the entire course of the game has earned him millions of fans in India and across the globe. This paved the way for a rumor that the former protea captain also excelled in multiple sports like hockey, tennis, rugby, badminton, football, swimming etc and even made it into some of South Africa's national teams in these sports.
AB, however cleared the rumours in his autobiography "AB: The Autobiography" and rejected the claims around him excelling in all these sports stating that they were "falsehood and exaggeration."
Also read: Five worst cricketing heartbreaks that left the fans in tears
4. The brand SG is named after Sunil Gavaskar
We're sure this one will come as a major shock to many of you even now – SG, the ball brand used in Test cricket and Ranji Trophy in India is actually an abbreviation for Sanspareils Greenlands and NOT for the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar!
The roots of this rumor is believed to be the fact that the brand has been long associated with Gavaskar as he used the SG 'Triple Crown' and 'Sunny Tonny' bats while playing for India. Not just that, in 1983 the brand had also signed a lifetime contract with Indian batting maestro making the rumour all the more believable.
5. Sanath Jaysuriya used steel bats & special lens
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya was the man who revolutionized the course of ODI cricket in the 90s with his fiery batting. Cricket fans, till 1996, had not seen anyone scoring fifties and hundreds the way Jayasuriya did. This led to weird rumors about his bats and 'special lens' that were believed to be giving him some extra edge while batting. It was a popular rumour that Jayasuriya had steel structures in his bat that add extra power to his bat, enabling him to clear the fence with ease. Another fan theory that often found place in the 90s kids' lunchtime conversations in schools was about Jayasuriya using 'special lenses' that enabled him to see a small cricket ball as the size of a football, making it easier to hit!
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