Top 5 Iconic Celebrations In Cricket Ft. The Shirtless Dance By Andrew Flintoff & Sourav Ganguly

Iconic Celebrations In Cricket: Although hailed as the “gentleman’s game”, aggressive celebrations have always been an inseparable part of international cricket since its inception. Over the years, numerous teams and international cricketers have added their own quirky touch and plethora of “signature moves” to commemorate their victories in various cricket formats. From Chris Gayle’s “Gangnam” dance to Andrew Flintoff’s “shirtless” dance, the unprecedented and exciting moves by prominent cricketers, aggressive celebrations have undoubtedly become more like a trademark in modern cricket and there’s no denial of the fact that cricket fans from all over the world absolutely love the high-powered energy on the field.

In this article we will take a look at the top five most iconic celebrations in the history of cricket. 

• Andrew Flintoff vs Sourav Ganguly’s Shirtless Dance 

The 2002 ODI series between India and England was nothing short of a classic rivalry that shook the world of cricket, quite literally. With a sweeping victory in the final sixth match of the six-match ODI series, Andrew Flintoff went a little too extreme on the field and removed his t-shirt on the field while commemorating England’s victory over India with a classic English dance.

Well, the rivalry between the two of the strongest cricket teams in the world didn’t subside here. The same year witnessed Sourav Ganguly giving a befitting reply to the English cricket team with his shirtless victory dance moment at the Lord’s as they defeated England in the Natwest Trophy of 2002 and became iconic celebrations in cricket. 

• Chris Gayle’s Gangnam Dance 

Well, it’s safe to believe that there’s no cricket team that can match up with the Caribbean’s style of high-powered on-field celebrations and their 2012 T20 World Cup victory proved it all over again to the entire world. Chris Gayle’s iconic “Gangnam” style dance was followed by the entire West Indies cricket team, which further escalated the fun of victory celebrations for the fans to an unparalleled extent. Chris Gayle was also hailed as the ultimate “celebration swagger” of the West Indies cricket team after these iconic celebrations and one of the most memorable victory moments. 

• Shoaib Akhtar’s Airplane Run 

Former Pakistan’s pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar, often referred to as the “Rawalpindi Express”, still rules the legacy of international cricket with his record-breaking delivery at a blistering speed of 161.3km h. Although it’s been years now, Shoaib Akhtar’s iconic airplane run is still fresh in the minds of cricket aficionados. Akhtar used to put his iconic and thrilling airplane run on full display as a glorious celebration after dismissing the batsman with his raw pace, blistering speed and annihilating accuracy. 

• Brett Lee’s Chainsaw Moment 

Although celebrations on the cricket field are often aggressive, we are still quite sure that there’s probably nothing that can match the intensity of Aussies’ knees-up on the cricket field. The chainsaw celebration that was initially popularized by Brett Lee later became the most iconic and irreplaceable celebratory move of the Australian cricket team. From brutally dismissing even the greatest of batsmen of the opposition team to ruling the crowd in the stands with his iconic “chainsaw” move, Brett Lee has unarguably delivered one of the most iconic celebrations in the history of international cricket. 

Also Read: Top 5 Cricket Grounds Known For Most Iconic Matches

• Ravindra Jadeja’s Sword Dance 

Often hailed as one of the most fearless batsmen in the history of Indian cricket, Ravindra Jadeja has won millions of hearts with his fierce and annihilating batting attack across all formats of international cricket. Although commemorated by millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world for his sensational innings and record-breaking career stats, Ravindra Jadeja’s sword dance is something that has always uplifted the spirit of the fans of Indian cricket. Jadeja’s sword dance undoubtedly showcased the Rajputana aura and a fearless approach that he has on the cricket field even against the most dreadful bowlers.