Ishant Sharma has a lucky pony

The fast bowler’s ponytail look was a piece of advice originally given to him by his teammates

When team India speedster Ishant Sharma took the field on the first day of the Bengaluru Test on Saturday, he was sporting a “Samurai” ponytail.

The fast bowler, who was on a one-match suspension, had not been part of the India team for the first test in Mohali. Meanwhile, his father Vinay Kumar Sharma, said that Ishant might have been advised by his teammates to keep the ponytail.

Talking to DC from New Delhi, Vinay Sharma said on Saturday, “Ishant recently got this new look. He is not superstitious but might have been advised by his teammates not to cut his hair and keep a ponytail instead.”

“Today’s youngsters do not consult their parents when it comes to fashion. Whatever it is, he looks better. Also, thanks to the ponytail, his long hair will not fall on his face and distract him while bowling, as was the case earlier,” added the elder Sharma.

Ishant’s coach Shravan Kumar said, “He came to me with the new hairstyle a few days ago and so I was not surprised. Today’s youngsters follow Bollywood stars and Ishant may have felt the ponytail would suit him more.” He added, “Ishant, however, is not the first Indian cricketer to have a ponytail. Kapil Dev, in the later years of his career, also had one.”

Not very many cricketers have sported ponytails barring a few like Jason Gillespie, Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. In fact, England bowler Phill Tufnell was not only advised by his Middlesex captain Mike Gatting to cut his ponytail but the latter had also taken him to a barber shop and made him have a haircut.