For IPL fans watching recent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) matches, Krunal Pandya taking the run up was an eye-catching moment not just for the anticipation of the star bowler taking a crucial wicket, but for the bold braided hairstyle he sported. Revealing the story behind the look which Pandya first rocked in the nail-biting match against Mumbai Indians (MI), celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim says, “He has been growing out his hair and wanting a new look without cutting it short. It was his idea to do cornrows but the timing wasn’t aligning. Finally, the morning before the match, we took two and a half hours for it. When he went on the ground, it became quite the head-turner, everyone was noticing the new look, especially since the match had brother playing against brother [Krunal’s brother Hardik Pandya plays for MI].” He adds, “He’s done cornrows before too, both brothers are attracted to Caribbean fashion and also like West Indian players – they love to keep things bold with chains, diamond studs, etc.”
Cornrows, a hairstyle originating in Africa and the Caribbean is known to be a protective style for coarser, dryer hair common in people with African heritage. When doing it on finer Indian hair like Pandya’s, some adjustments need to be made, as Hakim explains, “The braids hold better with textured hair but with Indian hair, you need to use a lot of hair gel to make it hold. If you’re doing them with dreadlocks, it’s even harder as you need to work with a needle to lock in the air. But for Pandya, we kept it simple with clean rows and beads.”
Hakim, a top celebrity hairstylist for decades now, is no stranger to working with cricketers – RCB’s Virat Kohli and Bengaluru boy KL Rahul apart from MS Dhoni, Jaspreet Bumrah and more. Speaking about each player’s uniquely different approaches to style, Hakim notices, “Virat is a style icon who really got the game started in terms of bringing style and individuality to cricket and I’d say, the most adventurous of the three. KL’s swag has started to change recently – he’s looking sharper with his beard and keeps his hair very classy too. He knows what he wants and his sense of aesthetics is very strong. Krunal is different from both of them and very right-in-your-face and bold”
Despite these vastly different personalities and preferences, there is one common factor when styling cricketers, as Hakim says, “They typically don’t like growing out their hair or anything that could get in their eyes because at the end of the day, their focus is on the match. I had to chop off Virat’s hair the day before the IPL.”
With actors and musicians, the goal at the centre of each look is vastly different. “Actors’ looks are all about the character they’re portraying and for musicians, the goal is for the hair to look dynamic. With the outfits, shoes and accessories all being loud, the hair too has to match up” says Hakim.
For those who saw Pandya taking wickets against MI and Lucknow Super Giants with style and want to channel a bit of that suaveness themselves, Hakim has words of both caution and reassurance. “I’ve always believed that if you have the confidence, people with any face shape or body type can pull this off. But if you have hairfall or a receding hairline, be careful not to tie the braids too tight – you will keep losing hair.”
All in all, the pro hairstylist has one crucial piece of advice for young men looking to cricket icons to find their own sense of style: make the look your own. “Don’t get carried away by looking at models or celebrities. Get inspired by them but don’t copy them – customise your haircut according to your face,” he says.