5 Indian cricketers turned politicians
The election season in India has reached its climax - 23rd May would be the D-day when results of the world's biggest democratic fest - Lok Sabha elections 2019 would be declared. Heated arguments between opposition parties, Twitter trolling, controversial remarks, a few constructive discussions and minute-by-minute coverage by the media, has turned Lok Sabha 2019 elections into a complete summer soap opera.
In the post-retirement plans of most of the celebrities, joining politics tops the list. Many businessmen, actors, social workers and ex-cricketers have jumped into politics.
Cricketers across India are showered with love which gives them an edge over other politicians and a strong base to start off their political career. A few of them have risen to become seasoned politicians, a few have quit as they could not garner same admiration as they did when they were active cricketers and some others are making a debut this year.
Let us have a look at the journey of 5 such cricketers from the cricket field to the field of politics.
#1 Navjot Singh Sidhu
An aggressive hard-hitting batsman, a controversial commentator, a TV celebrity and a veteran politician now - Navjot Singh Sidhu has donned different hats. Once a very quiet and shy individual, Sidhu turned into an absolute opposite post his cricket career - an articulate speaker having a poetic answer to everything.
His career as a commentator came to a screeching end when he was axed by ICC and consequently by Star Sports for inappropriate remarks in the pre and post-match shows during the 2003 World Cup against the Bangladesh cricket team.
Post that, in 2004, Sidhu joined the BJP and won his very first elections in the same year from Amritsar. He served as an MP for 10 years and went on to join the Indian National Congress (INC) in 2017.
He is currently the Minister of Local Government, Tourism, Cultural Affairs, and Museums in the Punjab government.