The modest humble beginnings of India’s most iconic cricketers stand in stark contrast to the multi-million dollar luxury garages they own today. Long before they were driving custom sports cars, several of India’s cricket stars felt the first rush of independence on two wheels.
Here is the story of 5 legendary Indian cricketers, their very first motorbikes, what they cost, and exactly what these stars were doing in life when they first bought or rode them.
1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Yamaha RD350
Before MS Dhoni became India’s most successful captain and a global cricket icon, he was a young boy in Ranchi fascinated by speed. Long before building his famous multi-story glass garage filled with superbikes, his first-ever motorcycle purchase was a secondhand legendary two-stroke icon.
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The Bike Model: Yamaha Rajdoot RD350 (High Torque variant)
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The Estimated Price: Dhoni bought it secondhand for around ₹4,500 to ₹6,000 (Originally sold new in the 1980s for around ₹18,000).
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The Year: Late 1990s / Early 2000s
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What he was doing at the time: At this point in his life, Dhoni was nowhere near the glitz of the Indian National Team. He was an aspiring domestic cricketer playing for Bihar. To make a stable living and keep his cricket dreams alive, he worked as a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) at the Kharagpur Railway Station. He saved up his modest earnings just to purchase this rusted, secondhand bike, which he famously dismantled and rebuilt himself—sparking a lifelong obsession with the RD350 model.
2. Sachin Tendulkar – Suzuki Shogun
Known globally as the “God of Cricket,” Sachin Tendulkar’s first four-wheeler was a humble Maruti 800. However, before he took over the roads in luxury cars, a young Sachin experienced his first taste of automotive freedom on a popular 100cc-era performance motorcycle.
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The Bike Model: Suzuki Shogun (manufactured in collaboration with TVS)
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The Estimated Price: Around ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 at the time.
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The Year: 1993
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What he was doing at the time: By 1993, Sachin Tendulkar was already a teenage prodigy in the international circuit, but he was still a boy at heart navigating the massive wave of his sudden nationwide fame. Having established himself as India’s premier middle-order hope, he bought the Suzuki Shogun—affectionately marketed in India as “The Boss” to enjoy casual rides around Mumbai away from the intense media spotlight.
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3. Shikhar Dhawan – Enfield Bullet 350
Former Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, famously known as “Gabbar” for his fierce attitude on the field, has always had a flamboyant personality. Mirroring his larger-than-life character, his very first vehicle had to be a machine with an undeniable road presence.
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The Bike Model: Royal Enfield Bullet 350
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The Estimated Price: Around ₹65,000 to ₹75,000.
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The Year: Mid-2000s
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What he was doing at the time: Around 2004 to 2006, Dhawan was tearing up the domestic circuit. He had finished as the leading run-scorer in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup but found himself waiting for a breakthrough into a heavily stacked senior Indian batting lineup. Living in Delhi, he used his early domestic match fees to buy a classic Royal Enfield Bullet, using its signature heavy thumping exhaust note to cruise through the streets of his hometown.
4. Pragyan Ojha – Bajaj Pulsar 150
Former Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who formed a formidable spin partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in Test cricket, followed the classic route of the Indian middle-class youth of the 2000s when selecting his first set of wheels.
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The Bike Model: Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i
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The Estimated Price: Around ₹50,000 to ₹55,000.
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The Year: 2005
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What he was doing at the time: In 2005, Ojha was a budding cricketer making steady progress through the state ranks of Hyderabad. The Bajaj Pulsar was the ultimate dream bike for young college-goers and athletes across India at the time. Earning small allowances from local matches, Ojha bought the Pulsar to reliably commute to his rigorous early-morning training sessions and academy nets.
5. Hardik Pandya – Hero MotoCorp Splendor
Hardik Pandya’s journey from absolute poverty to extreme luxury is well documented. Today, he owns a fleet of multi-crore supercars, but during his teenage years in Baroda, he and his brother Krunal relied on a single, second-hand commuter bike just to get to their cricket grounds.
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The Bike Model: Hero Honda Splendor
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The Estimated Price: Purchased secondhand for roughly ₹12,000 to ₹15,000.
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The Year: Late 2000s
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What he was doing at the time: This was the toughest phase of the Pandya family’s life. Financial struggles meant they could barely afford proper meals, let alone premium vehicles. Hardik and Krunal would load their heavy cricket kit bags onto this old, secondhand Splendor, traveling long distances across Gujarat to play local matches for a few hundred rupees. The bike was strictly a utility vehicle that kept their cricketing dreams alive when public transport was too expensive.
