Five Indian Cricketers Who Won Political Elections

From the cricket pitch to the political arena, several former Indian players have successfully transitioned into elected public offices over the years. Their fame and popularity as athletes have often translated into votes at the ballot box. Here are five Indian cricketers who hung up their cricketing gear to don the mantle of people's representatives:

1. Navjot Singh Sidhu

The former opening batsman was a member of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team. After retiring from cricket, Sidhu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004. He was elected to the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) from Amritsar in 2004 and then won the Amritsar East assembly seat in 2017 as a member of the Congress party. Currently, he is the President of the Congress' Punjab unit.

2. Mohammed Azharuddin

The stylish former Indian captain had a tumultuous cricketing career that was marred by a match-fixing scandal. Azharuddin entered politics with the Congress party in 2009 and won the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. He was also elected to the Parliament in 2014 from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.

3. Chetan Chauhan

The former Indian Test opener joined the BJP after retiring and successfully contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh. He was later elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1998 from Amroha. Chauhan also served as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre.

4. Kirti Azad

Son of the legendary Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, Kirti Azad played Test cricket for India in the 1980s. After retiring, he joined the BJP and won the 1999 Lok Sabha elections from Darbhanga in Bihar. He was re-elected in 2014 from the same constituency but was later suspended by the BJP for anti-party activities.

5. Mohammad Kaif

The talented former Indian batsman played a key role in India's famous Natwest Trophy victory in 2002. Kaif joined the Congress party in 2014 and successfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh. However, he lost the seat in the 2019 general elections.

These examples showcase how cricketers in India have often leveraged their sporting fame and mass appeal to carve out successful political careers post-retirement. Their transition from the sporting arena to the legislative corridors of power highlights the strong bond between cricket and politics in the country.