Top 3 player rivalries in cricket history

The game of cricket has been around for a long time. It started out in England and then went on to other parts of the world, where India took over as the big powerhouse in world cricket in terms of leverage and money. India now commands a lot of respect in the game in terms of flexing its muscles and calling the shots at the Cricket Governing Body.

Cricket has been given a lot of color because of the rivalries over the years. There have been many players who have been having spats off the field and on the field because of some reasons or the other. These rivalries that have developed over the years have made the game more fun and interesting to watch. Let us take a look at the top 3 player rivalries in the history of cricket.

3. Manoj Prabhakar and Javed Miandad

Manoj Prabhakar was able to keep Javed Miandad in check with his reverse swing in a clash between Indian and Pakistan. The Pakistani batter found Prabhakar as a very wily customer and this led to a very strained relationship between the two on the field. The duel between Miandad and Prabhakar was a very fascinating one  to watch. Miandad’s crazy imitation of Kiran More in the 1992 cricket World Cup is etched in every cricket fan’s heart.

2. Shane Warne and Arjuna Ranatunga

Shane Warne and Arjuna Ranatunga have taken a lot of potshots at each other. Warne had said that there is a lot of animosity between Ranatunga and himself. Once Ranatunga had called Warne an ‘overrated bowler’. When Warne tourned Sri Lanka in 2004, he took a jibe at Ranatuga saying, “Arjuna, he’s probably slotting himself around at 150 kilos at the moment, is he? Swallowed a sheep or something like that.”

1. Sachin Tendulkar and Shoaib Akhtar

When Shoaib Akhtar bowled to Sachin Tendulkar it was an amazing sight to watch. In 1999, when Akhtar had dislodged the middle stump of Tendulkar at the Eden Gardens in 1, the rivalry sparked off. In 2003, Akthar did not want to bowl at Tendulkar after getting hit in his first spell. The rivalry was wonderful to watch over the years.