Ever wondered what happens when cricket legends go off the field?
Former Indian cricket stars Suresh Raina, RP Singh, and Anil Kumble share hilarious and heartwarming stories in ‘Cheeky Singles’ on JioHotstar.
From hilarious mistaken identities to unforgettable fan encounters and in-flight pranks, the legends gave fans a glimpse into the lighter side of cricket life.
RP Singh recounted being mistaken for other celebrities multiple times, “I’ve been mistaken for Rohit Sharma on several occasions, not just once, but many times. And it doesn’t stop there. Someone even called me ‘George Clooney’ once on social media. I told them, ‘Now that's too much!’"
Anil Kumble shared similar experiences with fans confusing him for fellow cricketers, "People have called me Javagal Srinath, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, and even Azharuddin — that’s fine. But in the US, someone came up to me and said, ‘You are Sunil Gavaskar.’ That one was a bit much."
The spin legend also recalled a humorous in-flight encounter with an overenthusiastic fan offering bowling tips, "A man walked up to me at a party saying, ‘You should bowl leg spin like this.’ I asked him, ‘Why don’t you come tomorrow morning in your whites and show me?’ He vanished immediately!"
Suresh Raina took fans down memory lane to the inaugural 2008 IPL season, recalling a fan interaction linked to one of his biggest sixes, "I hit a six off James Hopes that went outside Wankhede Stadium. Years later, a girl came to me for a haircut holding that exact ball for my autograph. Honestly, James Hopes should have been asking me for that ball!"
Raina also shared a cheeky in-flight prank by Sachin Tendulkar during his early days in the national team, "We were flying for a Test match, and the air hostess mistook me for Arjun Tendulkar. Sachin paaji played along, and I ended up in business class thinking I was his son until he finally clarified!"
RP Singh reminisced about India’s legendary 2007 ICC T20 World Cup celebrations, "When we returned to Mumbai, the parade was beyond imagination — roads closed, crowds cheering, chocolates and even a small cake thrown at me. Despite the rain, the energy was electrifying."
On a more reflective note, Singh recalled a Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, "Rahul bhai scored 199, and during dinner that night, we were watching Sachin paaji bat in a run-a-ball innings. Rahul whispered to me, ‘If people were saying so much to him, imagine what they would have said to me!’"
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