Former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha, known for his close bond with Rohit Sharma, shared an emotional anecdote about the Mumbai star’s early struggles. He revealed that Sharma once delivered milk packets to save money for his cricket gear, as his family had a limited budget. “He came from a middle-class background, and I remember him getting emotional when we reminisced about our early days. His budget was tight, so he delivered milk packets to earn extra money to buy his kit. That was a long time ago, and now, when I see him, I feel incredibly proud of his journey,” Ojha recalled on Jio Cinema’s show My Time With Rohit.

Today, the 37-year-old Sharma has come a long way. According to property registration documents reviewed by Square Yards, he has leased out his property in Lower Parel, Mumbai, for Rs 2.60 lakh per month

Munaf Patel, a key member of India's victorious 2011 World Cup squad, had to abandon cricket in ninth grade despite already being regarded as the fastest bowler in his village. During school vacations, he worked at a tile factory, selecting high-quality export tiles, packing them into boxes, and earning a mere Rs 35 for an exhausting eight-hour shift. His natural talent as a fast bowler, however, eventually propelled him into the national team in the early 2000s.

Unfortunately, like many fast bowlers, recurring injuries cut short his promising career. In an interview with The Indian Express, Patel revealed that he almost chose a life as a labourer in Africa before a well-connected local figure, Yusuf Bhai, changed his fate. “He bought me Rs 400-worth shoes and introduced me to a cricket club. Ehsaan rahega zindagi bhar (I will always be grateful). Even today, whenever Yusuf visits from the UK, Munaf ensures he meets him. Kuch bhi kaam hai toh bata dena, bhai (If you ever need anything, just let me know, brother)."

India’s explosive power-hitter, Rinku Singh, shares a similarly humble background. His father, Khanchand Singh, worked as a gas cylinder deliveryman, hauling heavy cylinders on a bicycle to distribute them with the help of his older sons. Even today, his parents live in a modest two-room dwelling near a gas stockyard

Rinku himself once had the option to follow his brother’s path as a house sweeper, but he saw cricket as his only escape from poverty. "When I was just starting and had yet to play serious cricket, I was asked to join my brother for work. I was offered a job sweeping and mopping at a coaching center. I refused because I didn’t like the work," Rinku shared in a video posted by KKR

India’s rising sensation, Yashasvi Jaiswal, also overcame extreme financial hardships to carve a name for himself in cricket

A widely circulated image showed him standing next to a ‘Golgappa’ stall, leading many media outlets to claim he worked as a street vendor. However, his childhood coach later refuted those claims

All-rounder Hardik Pandya’s journey to success was filled with adversity. From surviving on instant noodles to borrowing cricket gear and even hiding his car from repossession due to unpaid EMIs, his is a quintessential rags-to-riches tale. 

Pandya's dedication and perseverance saw him transition from financial struggles to dazzling wealth, he was even spotted sporting an ultra-luxurious Richard Mille RM 27-02 watch during India-Pakistan match last Sunday. The limited-edition timepiece, originally designed for tennis legend Rafael Nadal, is valued at a staggering 800,000 dollars and is renowned for its Carbon TPT unibody baseplate, ensuring exceptional shock resistance and durability.