Friendship Day: Top 5 Iconic Cricket Rivals that Turned into Special Bonding Off-Field

Cricket’s fierce on-field rivalries often capture headlines, but many players have formed deep friendships off the field. Here are five iconic rivalries that blossomed into lifelong bonds, transcending national pride and high-stakes competition.

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Cricket Rivals that turned into real friendships off the field

Cricket is one of those sports in the world where the spectators, fans, and experts would often get enthralled by the fierce on-field rivalries and fights that get snowballed into controversies.

However, the rivalries have always stayed on the field, but off the field, players often form strong friendships and camaraderie that they have carried on over the years, irrespective of national boundaries, intense competition, or heated exchanges during matches.

As Friendship Day nears, let’s take a closer look at the top 5 iconic on-field rivals that turned into lifelong friendships.

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1. Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne

Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne were among the fiercest rivals the cricketing world had ever seen. The face-off between the two would often grab the attention of the fans and experts around the cricketing world, captivated by the battle between Warne’s spin magic and Tendulkar's batting brilliance. The two legends of the game met 29 times in international matches, and Warne dismissed the Master Blaster only four times on those occasions.

Despite battles on the field, Tendulkar and Warne shared a strong friendship over the years off the field. The two had often expressed their admiration and mutual respect publicly, with Sachin Tendulkar stating, ‘His (Warne) friendship is important to me and something I respect.’

On the first death anniversary of Shane Warne, Sachin Tendulkar penned a heartfelt note for his ‘great friend’, recalling their battles on the field and moments off the field.

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2. Ian Botham and Viv Richards

Ian Botham and Viv Richards were the greatest players of their time, but simultaneously, they were among the fiercest rivals on the field. Over their illustrious international careers, Botham and Richards faced off many times, but their bonding and friendship grew when they played for Somerset in England’s County Championship. Their time together at Somerset seemingly played a huge role in their association.

Viv Richards once called Ian Botham ‘a friend for life’, while a former England all-rounder termed his relationship with West Indies batting ‘like a brother’. Ian Botham once revealed in an interview that he and Vivian Richards shared a room for 10 years and highlighted the importance of respecting and admiring each other’s achievements. 

The evidence of their true friendship came into the spotlight when Ian Botham terminated his contract with Somerset when Vivian Richards and his countryman Joel Garner were sacked by the county in 1987 during the County Championship

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3. Virat Kohli and Dale Steyn

Virat Kohli and Dale Steyn had captivated the cricketing world, especially India and South Africa, with their on-field battles across all formats of the game. Being aggressive in nature, Kohli and Steyn often brought intensity on the field and fire to their battles with Indian batter countering South African’s express pace and deadly swing with fearless batting. Steyn and Kohli faced off 18 times in their international careers, during which Kohli scored 167 runs while Steyn dismissed him four times.

Despite on-field battles, Kohli and Steyn formed a great camaraderie off the field. The turning point of their friendship came when Dale Steyn played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Bangalore). 

In 2019, when Steyn ruled out of the ODI World Cup due to a shoulder injury, Kohli was gutted by his ‘long-time friend’ and expressed his disappointment to see him missing the entire tournament.

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4. Yuvraj Singh and Kevin Pietersen

Yuvraj Singh and Kevin Pietersen had intense battles on the field during their playing days, while representing India and England. In their international careers, the two met 19 times, during which Yuvraj dismissed Pietersen six times while the former England batter scored 155 runs against him. Singh and Pietersen had been involved in heated exchanges on the field, but off the field, they have been really good friends.

When Yuvraj Singh shifted to Boston for his cancer treatment in 2012, Kevin Pietersen secretly paid a visit to him and checked on the former Indian all-rounder. 

When India lost the T20 World Cup final in 2014, wherein Yuvraj scored just 11 off 21 balls, Pietersen came out in his defence. Their friendship grew when they spent time together in the Indian Premier League, despite not playing together for a team.

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5. Brett Lee and Andrew Flintoff

Brett Lee and Andrew Flintoff were among the iconic rivals in the history of cricket. The two fierce battles on the field, with facing off 33 times in their international careers, during which Lee dismissed Flintoff 8 times, while the former England bowling all-rounder scored 313 runs against them. However, both have remained good friends despite the on-field battles.

The iconic image from the Edgbaston Test of the Ashes 2005, where Andrew Flintoff was seen consoling Brett Lee, who was sitting down over disappointment with the defeat. 

Interestingly, when Brett Lee announced his Test retirement in 2010, the Australian pace bowling legend called his friend Andrew Flintoff, who persuaded Lee to call it quits from the longest format of the game, as per the report by the Sydney Herald. Such was their friendship despite on-field battles.