The man of many talents, Dhoni featured in the Jharkhand State Cricket Association’s tennis tournament. He started his campaign on a winning note by partnering with Sumeet Kumar Bajaj in the men’s doubles category on Tuesday, November 8. It is no more a secret that Mahi used to play football in school as a goalkeeper. Seeing that, his sports coach asked him to start wicket-keeping in cricket. Last year, the Chennai Super Kings skipper showed off his football skills in a celebrity charity match with Bollywood stars. But Dhoni isn’t the only cricketer who plays different sports. There are others too, who excel in multiple sports. (Image: Reuters)
Kapil Dev (Golf) | Cricketers are known to be good at golf. But not many match the quality of India’s first World Cup-winning captain. The legendary all-rounder has represented India in a number of senior amateur golf tournaments and his love for the sport is known to everyone. In September this year, he launched the Kapil Dev-Grant Thorton Invitational golf tournament, which had prize money of Rs 1 crore. (Image: Reuters)
Yuzvendra Chahal (Chess) | The Indian leg-spinner might be making batters dance to the tune of his spin on the pitch but back in the day, he himself had brilliant moves in chess. Yuzi is a former national Under-12 chess champion and has the distinction of representing India at the World Youth Chess Championships. He is also listed on the World Chess Federation (FIDE) website. Chahal’s Elo rating is 1956. (Image: Reuters)
Andrew Flintoff (Boxing) | The former England captain was a force to reckon with on the field. He gave several memorable performances with both bat and ball for his side over the years. The 2005 Ashes is still remembered for the all-rounder’s antics. Post-retirement from cricket, Freddie Flintoff turned into a pro boxer and defeated American boxer Richard Dawson in his maiden bout in 2012. However, Flintoff hasn’t returned to the ring after that although he vowed to remain active in the sport. (Image: Reuters)
Jonty Rhodes (Hockey, tennis & football) | The South African legend made a name for himself as arguably the best fielder the game has ever seen. He was also a useful middle-order batter. But cricket isn’t the only sport Jonty Rhodes played! In fact, he was a good hockey player as well. He played state-level hockey. The man also played junior state-level tennis and football. (Image: Reuters)
Nathan Astle (Football and auto racing) | The former New Zealand batter is remembered for the fastest double ton in Tests. He was explosive at the top in limited-overs cricket and was pretty handy with the ball too. Astle finished with over 11,000 international runs and 150-plus wickets. But there was more to the Kiwi cricketer. He played football for Rangers AFC in Christchurch and post-retirement, he enjoyed a successful stint in auto racing. Astle finished third in the South Island Sprint Car Championship in 2010. He has also tried his hand at golf like many other cricketers. (Image: Reuters)