Here is the list of cricketers who have joined politics and after a certain period opted out citing their own reasons (File pics)
Updated On: 2024-09-05 05:12 PM IST
Compiled by : Sujay Shivalkar
Recently, Team India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja joined the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). His wife Rivaba is a BJP legislator from Jamnagar North Assembly constituency in Gujarat since 2022. Rivaba joined BJP on March 3, 2019. The cricketer announced his retirement from T20I format following the country's triumph at the T20 World Cup 2024
India's former all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has been named in the list of candidates by the All India Trinamool Congress party. He will represent AITC in Murishidabad district for the Lok Sabha elections 2024
Former Indian star batsman Gautam Gambhir joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the year 2019. In 2024, Gambhir decided to quit elections citing the reason to take up cricket duties. He was a Member of Parliament during his political era. The veteran is the head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2024
Ambati Rayudu known for his power-packed strokes also entered politics in 2023. He represented the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. The batsman later on decided to pull curtains on elections as he wanted to shift his focus on cricket
Vinod Kambli who was once considered one of the most gifted cricketers made his appearance in elections in the year 2009. He represented Lok Bharati Party but the politics didn't favour the cricketer much
Navjot Singh Sidhu represented the BJP in 2004 and later on switched the party to Congress in 2014. In 2016, he took the oath of Member of Rajya Sabha. During his phase in BJP, he won the elections by a margin of 42,809 votes from Amritsar East