Beneath the high-stakes pressure of international cricket lies a world of camaraderie and mischief. The Indian dressing room, a sanctuary for legends, has been the stage for some of the most elaborate and hilarious pranks in sports history.
The Prank That Almost Made a Captain Resign
Perhaps the
most legendary prank of all was orchestrated by chief mischief-makers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh on April Fool's Day in 2005. The target? None other than their captain, Sourav Ganguly. The duo created a fake newspaper report, complete with fabricated quotes where Ganguly supposedly criticized his own players, calling them irresponsible and party animals. They presented the 'clippings' to Ganguly, and with the whole team playing along, the captain was genuinely distraught. Believing he had lost the trust of his team, a visibly shaken Ganguly offered to resign from the captaincy on the spot. It was only when Rahul Dravid saw how far the joke had gone that he revealed the prank, much to the relief of a stressed Ganguly, who then jokingly chased the pranksters with a bat.
A 'Traditional' Welcome for Virat Kohli
When a young and nervous Virat Kohli first entered the Indian dressing room in 2008, he was ripe for a classic rookie prank. The senior players, led by Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Munaf Patel, decided to have some fun. They told Kohli that it was a long-standing team tradition for any new player to touch the feet of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to seek his blessings before their debut. Eager to make a good impression and in awe of his idol, Kohli did exactly that. A bewildered Tendulkar initially had no idea what was happening and tried to stop him. It was only when the senior players erupted in laughter that both Tendulkar and a very embarrassed Kohli realized it was all an elaborate joke.
Yuvraj's April Fool's Emergency Call
Yuvraj Singh's reputation as the team's primary prankster is well-earned, and he rarely missed an opportunity. On another April Fool's Day, this time in 2017, his target was teammate Shikhar Dhawan. While Dhawan was relaxing in the team hotel's swimming pool, Yuvraj rushed over with a look of panic, telling him there was an emergency and that his wife had called. A concerned Dhawan immediately scrambled out of the pool, grabbing a towel and frantically searching for his phone. Yuvraj filmed the whole episode as Dhawan's panic grew, before finally revealing that it was all a prank. The moment, shared on social media, gave fans a classic glimpse into Yuvraj's playful nature.
Sourav Ganguly's Sleepless Night
Not all pranks were one-sided affairs. Yuvraj Singh himself was the victim of a nerve-wracking joke by Sourav Ganguly early in his career. Before his debut match against a formidable Australian team, Ganguly decided to test the young player's mettle. He pulled Yuvraj aside and told him, with a completely straight face, that he would be opening the batting the next day. For a debutant, the prospect of facing Australia's fearsome opening bowlers was terrifying. Yuvraj spent a sleepless night mentally preparing for the challenge, only to be told the next day that it was just a joke. Yuvraj later admitted that he vowed to get his revenge one day, a promise that eventually led to the infamous 'resignation' prank on his captain.
