Over the years, tattoos have become a part of cricket. Tattoo is not just a style statement for everyone; it is a medium of expression. Like a delicate cover drive or a cut shot over the point, a well-inked tattoo is an art; art can’t live without artists, and cricketers are the artists on the lush green surface with a bat or ball in hand. In the era of limited-over cricket, over the bowlers, batters mostly remain under the spotlight. Roaring, blazing, thunderous… these are some of the words we often use to describe how fearless a batsman was on the crease. Tattoos can’t talk or write, but they can demonstrate.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s love for tattoos is on another level. He has over 10 tattoos on his body that depict the star batter's important events in his life, like his ODI number, his parents, and spiritual beliefs. But there is a samurai tattoo over his bicep, which stands out among all. "I felt like these are the same characteristics that I share. I've had to fight for everything that I've gotten in life so far, and I will have to be this person all my life because of the choices that I will keep making. And hence it was a representation of me wanting to do something so badly, which was wanting to become a professional cricketer," he said in an interview.

Ben Stokes

The England international’s upper body part is tightly wrapped with tattoos; a massive lion pride links his back. According to media reports, it took almost 28 hours to complete the tattoo. The tattoo, which depicts a lion, a lioness, and a couple of cubs, symbolizes Stokes himself as the lion, his better half as the lioness, and their two children as the cubs, like a family portrait.

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Chris Gayle

When we talked about a lion tattoo and Ben Stokes, we had to discuss Chris Gayle, the Caribbean giant. A few years back, there was a tattoo war on social media. Gayle played for Punjab Kings (previously known as Kings XI Punjab), and Stokes represented Rajasthan Royals. Royals, in a social media post, flexed about his lion tattoo on his back. Punjab responded with another lion tattoo linked to Gayle’s chest, mostly on the front side of his body, a roaring lion with wings.

Hardik Pandya

Another Indian cricketer to join the party, Hardik Pandya. The lanky, full all-rounder has a bunch of small- and medium-sized tattoos on his body. But a lion tattoo on his forearm steals the show.

Suryakumar Yadav

The swashbuckling batter is a pure team man on the field and a family person off the field. His love for tattoos can’t be differentiated from his family. Yadav inked his parents' faces on his shoulder and the name of his wife, Devisha, on his chest, along with a Maori tattoo, which indicates Yadav’s ancestry.  

KL Rahul

“My body is my journal, and my tattoos are my story.” This was how KL Rahul described his love for tattoos. Like other players in the list, the versatile cricketer also has multiple tattoos on his body, out of which a tattoo on his arm with tribal art is the most eye-catching.