The Indian cricketers have explored a different dimension of career, post retirement, few have succeeded while others have decided to call quits abruptly.
As the recent 2024 Lok Sabha Elections came to an end on June 04 , few ex-sportspersons made their appearance in the political arena. Former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad, hockey legend Dilip Tirkey, Paralympic medallist Devendra Jhajhariya and ex-footballer and Arjuna awardee Prasun Banerjee tried their hand in this new dimension.
Let’s enlist some Indian cricket players who have taken part in the General Election of India.
1) Yousuf Pathan
Yusuf Pathan, a World Cup-winner, representing All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) from West Bengal’s Baharampur won by 85,022 votes, Pathan defeated five-time Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary in 2024.
The former all-rounder’s victory emphasises his effortless transition from cricket to public service. This victory adds him to the list of cricketers who have left their mark in political sphere.
2) Kirti Azad
A member of India’s historic 1983 World Cup triumph, Kirti Azad, also an emblem of AITC in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeated Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dilip Ghosh for the Durgapur seat, by 1, 37, 981 votes, returning successfully in the field.
Earlier he represented the Darbhanga constituency in Bihar and won the Lok Sabha elections in 1999, 2009, and 2014. Later he joined the Indian National Congress, continuing his political role.
3) Gautam Gambhir – BJP
Gautam Gambhir entered the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019 after quitting all forms of cricket. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections he was elected as an MP from the East Delhi constituency. However, in 2024, he did not get the ticket to defend his candidature but remains active in the party.
4)Harbhajan Singh – AAP
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2022 , was sent to the Rajya Sabha as a representative from Punjab. Since AAP had many numbers in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Harbhajan easily grabbed seat in the Rajya Sabha.
4)Mohammed Azharuddin – Congress
Mohammad Azharuddin, a former Indian captain, entered politics with the Indian National Congress (INC). In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he won from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
5)Chetan Chauhan – BJP
Chetan Chauhan, had also joined BJP and stayed an active member of the party until his death in 2020. He has served as an MP, MLA, as well as a Sports Minister of UP. Part of 1983 World Cup victory, Chauhan has played in 40 Tests and 7 ODIs for the national team as an opening batter.
6)Navjot Singh Sidhu – Congress and BJP
Navjot Singh Sidhu most familiar faces from Indian cricket in Indian politics had joined the BJP in 2004 and won the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar. Switching party in 2017, Sidhu joined the Congress. For India, Sidhu played 51 Tests and 136 ODIs.
7)Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – Vishal Haryana Party
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, player from a royal family and former captain of the India cricket team, joined politics in 1971 via Vishal Haryana Party(non-existent party now). The two Parliamentary elections fought by Pataudi in 1971 and 1975 were lost.
8)Mohammad Kaif – Congress
Mohammad Kaif, famous middle-order batter, joined Congress ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and contested from the Phulpur constituency in Allahabad. Ranking fourth, he polled only 58,000 votes.
9)Laxmi Ratan Shukla – AITC
The Bengal captain, Laxmi Ratan Shukla had joined the AITC. Victorious he became the Sports Minister. In 2021, though, Shukla quit AITC and politics altogether to focus on his cricket academy.
10)Palwankar Baloo – Congress
First to enter politics among all cricketers was Palwankar Baloo.
The Dalit politician was defeated against B.R. Ambedkar by the Congress in the Bombay Legislative Assembly election of 1937 by a margin of only 2,025 votes.
Palwankar couldn’t represent India. However, he played in 33 first-class games between 1905 and 1921, taking 179 wickets, scoring 753 runs throughout.
Tabinda Mir is a writer from Kashmir. She is an English Honours graduate and her interests primarily dwell in poetry and sports writing. She likes to cover Cricket as an avid fan. Apart from sports, her other publications include articles, poems and a letter to summer in the book titled, “Under The Summer Skies”.
Also, her leisure time activities include reading novels, poetry, non literary works, philosophies and writing poetry, short stories, articles on diverse themes.
