Gautam Gambhir to Harbhajan Singh: India Cricketers who joined Indian Politics

The connection Indian cricket and Indian politics is quite closely knitted with each other. Over the years, we have seen several Indian cricket stars joining politics after their career as a sportsperson.

Many have made a name for themselves as a politician, while a few have served for a short time and then have left the arena. The recent unravelling of Gautam Gambhir leaving Politics thus reiterates our thoughts to take a look back at the players who have honed the Politician role as well.

From 22 Yards to Politics: Indian Cricketers who turned to Politics

Kirti Azad

Kirti Azad, a member of the iconic 1983 World Cup-winning team, has navigated an intriguing political journey, moving from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Congress. Contesting elections from Darbhanga, Bihar, he secured victories thrice, representing the constituency as a Member of Parliament each time.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu, celebrated for his vibrant cricket career, embarked on his political journey in 2004 with the BJP. Winning the Amritsar seat in his first electoral contest, Sidhu held onto it for a decade. Differences with the party leadership led to his resignation in 2016, and the following year, he was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from East Amritsar as a Congress member.

Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin, whose cricket career was marred by match-fixing allegations, joined the Congress in 2009. His political debut was successful as he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Despite losing the 2014 elections, Azharuddin expressed intentions to contest the 2019 elections from Secunderabad.

Mohammed Kaif

Mohammad Kaif faced defeat in the political arena, losing the 2014 elections from Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh, as a Congress candidate. He is still active in politics and is a proud well-wisher of Indian National Congress.

Sreesanth

Former India pacer Sreesanth also joined BJP a few years ago. Sreesanth contested in an election from Trivandrum seat but faced defeat.

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir, the latest departed politician is an avid supporter of BJP and is a Member of Parliament of the ruling party from Delhi.

Vinod Kambli

Former India batter Vinod Kambli joined Lok Bharati Party in Maharashtra but lost in the Vidhan Sabha elections back in 2009. He is not known to be an active party member anymore.

Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary, who honed the shirt of Bengal and India, is an MLA from the Shibpur constituency in West Bengal. He joined Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections and is an active representative of the people.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, the crafty off-spinner joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and is a Member of Rajya Sabha currently.

Ambati Rayudu

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu joined YSRCP, a political party in Andhra Pradesh in 2023. But within a few days, Rayudu decided to withdraw himself from politics.

The intertwining of cricket and politics in India illuminates the multifaceted careers of these cricketers, showcasing their transitions from sports icons to political figures, each navigating the complexities of their new arenas with varying degrees of success.