10 Indian cricketers who turned politicians

Manoj Tiwary & Ashok Dinda

Indian cricketers have often been seen batting in the political pitch. According to Historian Ram Guha, the first-ever cricketer to join politics was Palwankar Baloo, a Dalit leader who contested for a by-election in Bombay Municipality in 1933-34 and lost to a Parsi doctor Homi F Pavri.

In 1937, the Congress party contested him against Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Baloo gave tough competition to Ambedkar. However, he lost by a margin of more than 2,000 votes. The first Indian cricketer-turned-politician post-independence was Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi who contested in 1971. Thus, the first cricketer-turned-politician of India was a Dalit and a Nawab. Here's a look at some Indian cricketers who joined politics following the end of their cricketing careers.

Gautam Gambhir

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the buildup to the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Gambhir, who was a key member of India’s 2007 ICC World T20 and 2011 World Cup triumphs, took on Atishi Marlena representing AAP and Arvinder Singh Lovely from Congress during Delhi elections.

Mohammad

Mohammad Azharuddin

The stylish Hyderabadi batsman Mohammad Azharuddin began his political innings in 2009 when he joined Congress. Azhar won the general elections in 2009 from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh to become an MP. The former India captain was, however, routed in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad constituency. Azharuddin was an elegant middle-order batsman and led the Indian team in 47 Tests during the 1990s.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a former Indian skipper, was among the first of the cricketers who joined politics and contested polls. Regarded as one of India's greatest cricket captains, the nawab contested two Lok Sabha polls and tasted defeat. Despite the fact that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and cricket World Cup winning team captain Kapil Dev campaigned for him, he eventually lost the poll. Following these defeats, Pataudi chose not to stay put on the sticky wicket of politics and bid adieu.

Kirti Azad

The former all-rounder Kirti Azad, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, represented the BJP and won from Bihar's Darbhanga constituency thrice. In February 2019, he joined the Congress. Son of former Chief Minister of Bihar Bhagwat Jha Azad, Kirti Azad was an aggressive right-hand batsman and a quickish off-spinner. He was previously an MLA from Delhi's Gole Market constituency.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

A minister in Punjab government, Navjot Singh Sidhu started his political career by contesting the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 on a BJP ticket. Sidhu, who featured in 51 Tests and 136 ODIs for India, has donned several hats in his political career. In 2014, the BJP denied him a ticket and gave the seat to the party's key strategist Arun Jaitley. In 2016, he was given the Rajya Sabha ticket but he resigned.

Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif, who played 125 ODIs and 13 Tests between 2000 and 2006, joined Congress and contested 2014 Lok Sabha election from Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh. He is regarded as one of the best fielders in the Indian cricket team owing to his great athletic and throwing skills.

Chetan Chauhan

Chetan Chauhan, who was Sunil Gavaskar's opening partner in Tests, has twice been a Member of Parliament from Amroha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. After his cricket career finished in 1981 he moved into politics, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is serving as Minister for Youth and Sports in Uttar Pradesh.

Vinod Kambli

Former India Test batsman Vinod Kambli - known for his pugnacious batting as much as his flamboyant lifestyle became the fastest Indian to complete 1000 Test runs. Such was his rise that he even breached the 200-run barrier well before Tendulkar, hitting 227 against Zimbabwe in 1993. In fact, Kambli hit two double-centuries and two hundreds in his first eight Test innings! The fact that he also had a safe pair of hands increased his value. He tried his luck in politics. Lok Bharati Party made him its vice-president but he lost the 2009 Vidhan Sabha elections from the Vikhroli (Mumbai) seat.

Manoj Prabhakar

Manoj Prabhakar was an all-rounder in the Indian cricket team. He featured in 39 Tests and 130 ODIs in which he amassed more than 3,400 runs and scalped 253 wickets. Post retirement, he turned into a politician and currently is a member of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).

Tejashwi Yadav

Tejashwi was not the one who always harboured the interest of joining RJD supremo and his father Lalu Prasad Yadav as a politician. He in fact pursued his interest in cricket and then moved on to join politics.

Born on November 10, 1989, Tejashwi is the younger son of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, the elder being Tej Pratap. To start with Tejashwi Yadav was a cricket fanatic who after playing state-level cricket joined the Delhi Daredevils IPL team. He was a part of the team for a good 5 years, from 2008-2012. However, he did not get an opportunity to play a single match.

Thereafter, in 2015 Tejashwi decided to join his father's party the Rashtriya Janata Dal. Nitish Kumar in 2005 had defeated the RJD to come to power in alliance with the BJP. Since then the RJD struggled to win assembly elections and form a government in Bihar.

After Tejashwi joined the party he fought from the Raghopur seat in the 2015 Assembly elections and won. The RJD also emerged as the single largest party and formed the government in alliance with Nitish Kumar's JD (U). Tejashwi Yadav was made the deputy chief minister of the state. However, his tenure as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister did not last long as Nitish Kumar ended the alliance with the RJD to form a government with the BJP.

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