5 Indian cricketers who jumped into politics

The larger than life persona of cricketers gives them celebrity status in India, and makes them a popular face among the public. After having proven their might on the cricket field, a number of cricketers turned to politics to start their second innings. While some tasted success, others couldn’t repeat their feats in the political ring.

Here are five Indian cricketers who played international cricket, and then jumped into politics.

Kirti Azad

Part of the 1983 World Cup winning team, Kirti Azad played 7 Tests and 25 ODIs for India. He is not entirely unintroduced from the political scene, as his father, Bhagwat Jha Azad, had served as the Chief Minister of Bihar.

After his career as a player, he turned to broadcasting on television. He has been part of a number of news chat-shows and post-match television discussions. Yet, he finally found his calling in politics.

He won the 2014 Lok sabha elections from Darbhanga, and is currently serving his third term in the Lok Sabha as part of the BJP.

Mohammad Azharuddin

Azharuddin recently came back into the limelight with the release of a Bollywood biopic on his life, titled ‘Azhar’. One of the most successful captains of the national side, Azharuddin has seen a number of ups and downs in his chequered career. He represented India from 1984-2000.

In 99 Tests, he scored a total of 6215 runs, with 21 hundreds and 22 fifties, including three centuries on the trot in his first three Tests. He scored a total of 9378 ODI runs, a record that time, in 334 ODIs.

After having been embroiled in a match-fixing saga that derailed his playing career, Azharuddin turned to politics to mend his tattered reputation. He took part in the 2009 elections representing Congress, and became a member of the parliament by winning from Moradabad.

In 2012, the Andhra High Court lifted the life ban on Azharuddin.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Known for his hearty laughter as much for aggressive batting, Navjot Singh Sidhu played 51 Tests for the Indian team, having made his debut in 1983. He also represented the team in 134 ODIs.

Popular in the commentary box for his quirky style and unique metaphors, his comments have been branded as “Siddhuism” by his followers. Yet, he decided to make the jump to politics, and joined the BJP in 2004.

He has been successful in the political arena as well, having won the Lok sabha elections twice. However, he was not a ticket by the BCCI in 2014, and he left for greener pastures.

Finally, he formed a party of his own, named ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’.

Mohammad Kaif

Remembered best for his NatWest heroics, as well as his electric fielding in the covers, Mohammad Kaif faded after a string of poor performances and the emergence of a younger generation of middle-order batsmen.

He played 125 ODIs and 13 Tests for the national side, and last represented the Indian team in 2006. Although he was the captain of the Uttar Pradesh side for a long time, he couldn’t reclaim his spot.

He turned to politics in 2014, and contested in the Lok Sabha elections on a congress ticket. However, his stint turned out to be an unsuccessful one, as he lost out in his hometown, Allahabad.

Praveen Kumar

The latest Indian cricketer to join the political bandwagon, Praveen Kumar is one of the few active cricketers to have associated themselves with politics. The 29-year old, who last represented the national side in 2012, was recently seen in action in the IPL, where he was fairly successful opening the bowling with Dhawal Kulkarni for the Gujarat Lions.

He joined hands with Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the president of the Samajwadi Party, and might contest from Meerut in 2017.

Kumar has played six Tests and 68 ODIs for the Indian team, and was once a regular in the limited overs squads.