Bollywood has had a love affair with cricket for as long as the two have existed. This long-running love affair is far from a new fad, as some would like to believe. Read ahead to find out about 5 Famous Indian Cricketers with Bollywood Love Connection.
Cricketers and Bollywood stars are national icons adored by millions of people.
Owing to cricket’s ever-growing popularity in India, cricketers carry the same aura and socialise in the same elite circles as the top Bollywood celebrities.
As a result, sparks of passion and romance seldom flow between the two industries.
Indian cricketers have been falling in and out of love with Indian actresses for ages. While some of these unions materialise into iconic fairy-tale marriages, some fall out due to the pressure of public scrutiny and lately, intense trolling.
Nonetheless, their stories captivate the public imagination and become dinner-time and social media conversations all over the country.
Here are 5 Famous Indian Cricketers with Bollywood Love Connection
Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore
This legacy of romance between stardom and sportsmanship was started by none other than the cricketer of royal descent, Nawab Mohammad Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi AKA Tiger Pataudi and the most glamorous Indian actress of the 70s, Sharmila Tagore.
Pataudi was an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian cricket team. He served as the titular head of the Pataudi dynasty from 1952-1971 and as the captain of the Indian National Cricket Team from 1961-1975.
Sharmila Tagore is regarded as the greatest actress in the history of Indian cinema. Tagore was born in Calcutta and belonged to one of the leading Bengali families in the region.
She made her acting debut with Satyajit Ray’s acclaimed Bengali epic drama “The World of Apu”. Successively, she went on to do dozens of major Hindi movies and became the ‘Kashmir ki Kali’ of Bollywood.
These two extremely distinguished, extraordinarily good-looking and charming individuals met at an after-match party in Delhi where they were introduced by a mutual friend.
Their regal romance began with the nawab sending his beloved roses, love letters and even a refrigerator once!
The two got married in 1968, after four years of courting and spent more than forty years together before the Nawab passed away in 2011.
The couple bore three children, Saif Ali Khan, Saba Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan.
Their enduring and adorable love story set the trend and remains an inspiration even today.
Azharuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani
Mohammad Azharuddin AKA Azhar is a huge name in the history of Indian Cricket.
He served as the captain of the Indian cricket team and led the country to multiple wins.
Azhar’s professional life was full of acclaim while his personal life often displayed contention.
He married his first wife Naureen in 1987. The couple was blessed with two sons.
However, in 1996, they got divorced and the cricketer went on to marry rising starlet, actress and model Sangeeta Bijlani the very same year.
Sangeeta was crowned Miss India in 1980. Azhar met her at an ad shoot in 1985 and fell for her beauty at first sight. Thus began their saga of a passionate romance.
After 14 years of marriage, Sangeeta Bijlani filed for divorce amidst rumours of her husband’s growing closeness with Indian badminton player Jwala Gutta. `
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma
This couple needs no introduction. Virat and Anushka AKA Virushka are the most loved star couple in the country.
The two love birds met during the ad shoot of a shampoo brand called Clear. They started seeing each other shortly after and made their first public appearance in 2014.
While the two denied their relationship initially, their love became quite apparent to fans when they saw Anushka cheering for Virat during multiple matches while the captain sent flying kisses towards the grandstand.
The couple allegedly took a break in 2016 but couldn’t bear the distance. Soon after, they secretly tied the knot in a dreamy intimate wedding in Italy in the year 2017.
Their perfect wedding became a precedent for all wedding planners and couples in love! Virushka gave birth to their adorable daughter Vamika in 2021.
After more than five years of their marriage, the internet still cannot stop gushing over this actor-cricketer pair. They are truly #relationshipgoals.
Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech
One of India’s finest cricketers Yuvraj Singh found his forever love in actress and model Hazel Keech.
The persistent cricketer fell in love with Hazel and kept pursuing her for about three and a half years after which the actress couldn’t resist and their dreamy romance began.
In 2015, Yuvi proposed to Hazel and the two announced their engagement on social media. They tied the knot in 2016. The adorable couple is now parents to two beautiful children.
However, Hazel is not the only actress Yuvi has dated. His past romances and alleged affairs form a huge list, some of which he denies admitting to.
Yuvi and actress Kim Sharma dated for four years before parting ways because of their family’s disapproval.
Leading actress Deepika Padukone and Yuvraj were involved in a brief dating episode where the two bonded over their closeness with sports. However, the two broke up due to work-related chaos.
Neha Dhupia also makes it to Yuvi’s alleged list of ex-girlfriends. The two remain friends even today.
Another actress, Riya Sen, was rumoured to be dating Yuvi after the two met at a party and hit it off.
All of these rumours now stay in the past as the happy couple flaunt their endearing family life on social media.
K.L. Rahul and Athiya Shetty
K.L. Rahul and Athiya Shetty’s love story is a delightful blend of cricket and cinema.
K.L Rahul is India’s leading batsman and Athiya Shetty is an actress and model. Their romance blossomed in 2019. The two met through a mutual friend and soon fell deeply in love.
Their romance blossomed quietly in the beginning. Gradually, subtle social media hints and shared moments caught the attention of fans across the nation.
The couple was supported by Athiya’s family, particularly her father, Suniel Shetty, leading to their bond growing stronger over time.
Their love finally culminated in a beautifully intimate wedding in January 2023, held at Suniel Shetty’s Khandala farmhouse.
The ceremony was filled with tradition and elegance. Their guests included close family and friends from both Bollywood and the cricket world.
The couple continues to share glimpses of their delightful life on social media.
Stardom, Glamour and Sportsmanship
The relationship between Indian cricketers and Bollywood stars is a tale as old as time, one that never fails to captivate the nation’s interest and imagination.
These high-profile relationships are filled with glamour, charm, and sometimes heartbreak. Their culmination offers a fascinating blend of two of India’s biggest passions, cricket and cinema.
From the royal romance of Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore to modern-day love stories like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, and K.L. Rahul and Athiya Shetty, each couple adds to the irresistible enigma of public fascination, love and controversies.
Some of these relationships become the ultimate ideals of romantic love and lasting union while some become fleeting chapters.
Despite all, they remain a testament to the obsessive nature of Indian fandom, whether it’s for cricket or Bollywood.
In the spotlight of fame and fortune, cricket and Bollywood continue to find love, generation after generation.
Looks like now you’re well aware of 5 Famous Indian Cricketers with Bollywood Love Connection. Which actor-cricketer pair do you think is next in line?
