Cricket
Cricket
7 KL Rahul tattoos you will want to know about
The India opener discusses the ink he has been sporting over the years.
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8 min
KL Rahul - Shut Out The Noise
Shut Out The Noise is a documentary on how KL Rahul became one of the best batsmen in the world after his return to the India national team in early 2019.
KL Rahul has been a regular player in the Indian cricket team for a while now.
While he lets his bat do most of the talking, his calm demeanour on and off the field has been praised as well.
His off-field persona has been heavily linked with the warrior-style tattoos which cover much of his skin. While his dedicated fans know the story behind some of his pieces, much of the art he has on his skin has been a mystery.
2 min
KL Rahul explains his tattoos
Indian opening batsman KL Rahul tells the stories behind some of the tattoos on his body.
Here, he divulges the details on some of his favourite tattoos and what they mean to him.
Lighthouse on left forearm
KL Rahul's lighthouse tattoo
© Ali Bharmal
The lighthouse is very, very special to him because it reminds him of home. KL Rahul grew up by the beach in Mangaluru before he shifted to Bengaluru to follow his cricket career. Looking at the lighthouse tattoo on his arm takes him back to memories of his home by the beach in Mangaluru.
Key with ram horns
The key was customized to have ram horns because KL Rahul’s star sign is Aries. The key – which goes around his forearm – signifies being open to learning new things and unlocking his mind with new experiences.
Clock on his bicep
KL Rahul's clock tattoo
© Ali Bharmal
The clock tattoo on the inside of his left bicep has the hands inked at 11 o’clock. KL Rahul was born at 11 o’clock which is why the clock hands are tattooed at that position. The phrase “Veni, vidi, vici”, which is Latin for “come, see, conquer” is tattooed around the clock to signify that KL Rahul’s time as an Indian cricketer has begun and he intends to conquer the world with his bat.
All-seeing eye on his left bicep
This tattoo is a reminder that his grandparents are always watching over him and are protecting him.
Deshi Basara script on right forearm
KL Rahul's Deshi Basara tattoo
© Ali Bharmal
KL Rahul is a huge fan of the comic book superhero Batman. The expression Deshi Basara – which means “to rise up” – is from the 2012 Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.
284 in Roman numerals
KL Rahul's 284th cap tattoo
© Ali Bharmal
This tattoo runs across the right side of his torso. It is his Test cap number for India. He was the 284th cricketer to play for the Indian national cricket team, so this tattoo is very special to him because he had to work really hard to earn the spot in the India team.
Parents names tattooed on his wrists
KL Rahul has his mother’s name Rajeshwari on his left wrist and his dad’s name Lokesh on his right wrist. When his parents started getting annoyed about the rising number of tattoos he was getting, KL Rahul got their names tattooed on his wrists. Since then, they haven’t had a problem with him getting more tattoos.
Some more tattoos
The first tattoo KL Rahul ever got was a giant wing on his back when he was 17 years old. He also has the image of his dog Simba tattooed on his back.
His left hand has the number one on it, which is one of his most recent tattoos. He got the number one tattoo because it is his jersey number in the Indian cricket team. He also has the number XI tattoo on his bicep, which was his jersey number when he first started playing for India.
The rose tattoo on his left hand symbolizes new beginnings. The tattoo of arrows on his left hand is to protect him from harm. The owl tattoo on his left hand is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
He also has tattoos for water, air and sun across his body, which are the three elements that are important to him.
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