‘Malaria’ in the Rajasthan Royals dressing room

Shane Warne’s routine of dishing out nicknames to his Rajasthan Royals team-mates continues with Ashok Menaria being christened ‘Doxy’. How did the name come about, you ask? It has everything to do with Warne’s fear of Malaria, and the anti-malarial drug he has stocked up on - Doxycycline. The story goes, Warne, who had trouble pronouncing Menaria’s name, called the allrounder Doxy, as his surname sounded like the mosquito-borne ailment.

“Since Shane is scared of Malaria, when he first met me he jokingly asked if it is Menaria or Malaria,” Menaria said. “When he came here, he brought a lot of medicines, mostly Doxycycline. So, I was named Doxy after the drug.”

Much like in the previous IPL seasons, Warne’s innovative team-building exercises also continue. “Like in the first edition of the IPL, he has nicknamed the players, and also formed groups of three with a leader for every team activity. This helps with infusing confidence, leadership qualities and sense of responsibility in players.”