There is no hiding the fact that the members of the Indian cricket team are avid fans of football. From attending matches to owning football teams (Virat Kohli is the owner of an ISL team) to playing the sport before they kick start their cricket training sessions and playing FIFA together after matches, the cricketers leave no stone unturned to display their love for the game.
Rohit Sharma, who on Thursday was named as the Spanish football league La Liga’s brand ambassador, went on to reveal how the players in the side ape the hairstyles of the football players, and even stated that former Indian wicket-keeper MS Dhoni was the best footballer in the side.
The opener, who has had a phenomenal run in cricket this year across formats – be it making his maiden double Test ton in Tests or leading the charge in the ICC World Cup – said, “While growing up I have seen a lot of football matches it was always a good break from cricket. I think MS Dhoni is the best footballer in our team.”
MS Dhoni’s footballing skills have never been in doubt, and it is a well-known fact that the Ranchi lad wanted to become a footballer.
However, his sports coach spotted him while he was goalkeeping and realized that Mahi, as he is often called, had the skills to be an exceptional footballer as well.
The 38-year old is a massive fan of English Premier League side Manchester United, who are expected to tour India next year and play a few friendlies against Calcutta-based club East Bengal.
Rohit further added that KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya style their hair like footballers to show their love for the game. “The young guys who have come into the team like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, they all follow football,” Rohit said.
“They do watch all these footballers, their hairstyle and what they do with their hairstyle.”
Rohit, meanwhile, is a Zinedine Zidane fan.
“This is not because I am associated with La Liga. I used to love Zinedine Zidane, I watched him play and that’s how I started watching football regularly,” said Rohit.
“Real Madrid is again (my best club) because of the skill and passion, how they play and how much skills they have within the group.“
