In bookies' notebook, Sachin Tendulkar is 'batku', Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'helicopter': reports

Sachin Tendulkar has had many nicknames throughout his storied career. 'Tendya', 'God', 'Little Master' and 'Master Blaster' are four among many. And now Sachin can add one more to that list. According to reports, diaries and iPads recovered by police from bookies reveal that Sachin had a codename 'batku' -- probably a reference to his height.

In the world of match-fixing, codenames are nothing new. All this came to the fore during the infamous Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal in 2000. The former South African captain was introduced to an Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta, who was known as 'John' in the dark world of sport betting. Hansie and 'John' reportedly had a long and lucrative relationship with Cronje earning over £65,000 (almost 56 lakh rupees) in bribes.

Media reports say records unearthed by the police investigating spot-fixing in IPL 2013, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not far behind in the 'naming' list. In a tribute to a shot he created, popularized and uses to great effect, Dhoni is aptly termed 'helicopter' by bookies. When he came on the cricket scene with his long locks, 'Mahi' was his calling card. Success was followed by a new 'name' in Captain Cool. The hair was trimmed and so was his nickname, which became 'MS'.

His recent travails on and off the field notwithstanding, Pune Warriors' Yuvraj Singh remains a crowd favourite. Famously labeled 'pie-chucker' by former English captain Kevin Pietersen in 2008 for his bowling action, Yuvraj is 'model' in the bookies' notebook. The codename probably is in reference to his looks.

It appears as if none of the top Indian cricketers have been spared by the bookies. Virat Kohli has the rather unflattering tag of 'shinning' and Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag is 'chashma'. Viru's moniker is rather recent, as he made his debut with spectacles in the Test series against Australia. Prior to this, Sehwag was bestowed with royal badges such as 'Nawab of Najafgarh' and 'Sultan of Multan'. Ravichandran Ashwin has the codename 'Firki', surely after his spinning fingers that bowls the mysterious 'carom ball'.

The three players accused for spot-fixing in IPL -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- are Rotru, Mowgli and Kawa, respectively. The other key members in the probe -- Vindoo Dara Singh and Gurunath Meiyappan - are 'Jack' and 'Guruji'.

IPL stalwarts Lasith Malinga and Chris Gayle are also part of bookies' list as well. Malinga, in his six years with Mumbai Indians, has captured the imagination of the Wankhede crowd, with names like 'Pocket-rocket' and 'Slinga-Malinga'. 'Makki' has emerged as his codename in betting circles.

Chris Gayle, as one would expect is a delight for cliches and captions. The powerful Jamaican has earned names like Gayleforce, GayleStorm and Master Storm out of his sheer batting capability. Indian bookmakers seem to have given the West Indian a local flavor, calling him 'Raavan'. Gayle does evoke fear among bowlers but his deadpan approach on the cricket field is contrary to the mythological demon King of Sri Lanka.

Cricket, as a sport, has a vibrant tradition of nicknames. The most enigmatic are given the most outrageous signatures. Shahid Afridi has made 'boom boom' in to a brand in itself with bats, flags and apparel stamped with the statement. Rahul Dravid has evolved from a lucid 'Jammy' to the sturdy 'Wall'.

Monty Panesar with his extravagant expressions, obvious likeability and glorious beard has 'Mont-ster', 'python' and 'The Beard to be Feared' in his repertoire. Shane Warne is another who is earned 'Warnie, Warney, The King of Spin, Spin King and Hollywood' with his lifestyle, personality and demeanor.

It is not unusual that codenames have entered the murky world of fixing and betting in cricket. With nicknames ranging from the ingenious to the downright ridiculous, name-calling has taken on a whole new meaning.