The Bollywood-cricket love story

As cricketer Harbhajan Singh and actor Geeta Basra get ready to tie the knot on October 29 in Punjab, here are other cricketers who fell in love with Bollywood stars in the past

Vivian Richards and Neena Gupta

Actor Neena Gupta was in a relationship with former West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards and had daughter Masaba with him. Masaba, born in 1989, is a fashion designer.

Mohammad Azharuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani Actor Sangeeta Bijlani was married to the former India cricket captain for 14 years. However, the two parted ways in 2010. Sangeeta reportedly asked for a divorce due to Azhar’s alleged link up with badminton player Jwala Gutta.

Ravi Shastri and Amrita Singh

Former Indian cricket captain and commentator Ravi Shastri was in a serious relationship with actor Amrita Singh in the late 80s. Amrita was often spotted in the stands during Shastri’s matches. However, the two broke up and Shastri married Ritu in 1990. Amrita married actor Saif Ali Khan a year later.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli

Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli have been dating since 2013. The PK actor admitted to their relationship in March this year when she said: “We are not hiding anything. We are two normal young people in a relationship.”

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 1967. The couple were together until the cricketer’s death in 2011. About her life post marriage, Sharmila was once quoted as saying, “I haven’t given up anything (after marrying Pataudi). He is very liberal in views.”

Wasim Akram and Sushmita Sen

The former Pakistani cricketer and Sushmita Sen became close while working together on a TV show in 2008. While there were reports of the two tying the knot, they both denied it.

Gary Sobers and Anju Mahendroo

The West Indies all-rounder was bowled over by actor Anju Mahendroo when they met during West Indies’ 1966-67 tour of India. Anju was only 17 at the time. The relationship was brief, but it is believed that the two also got engaged in a secret ceremony.

Yuvraj Singh and Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone was rumoured to be in a relationship with cricketer Yuvraj Singh in 2008. But some reports suggested that Yuvraj’s possessive nature created issues between the two and they parted ways. They are now on good terms and were spotted sharing a warm hug at an event a few months back.

Yuvraj Singh and Kim Sharma:

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Kim Sharma were in a steady relationship for four years before parting ways in 2007. Reports also suggested that the couple was planning to marry. Yuvraj’s mother reportedly did not approve of her son’s choice.

Zaheer Khan and Isha Sherwani

While the two have parted ways now, cricketer Zaheer Khan and actor Isha Sherwani started dating in 2005 and were together for eight years. There were speculations that the two could not cope up with a longdistance relationship.

MS Dhoni and Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone was also said to be dating cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The rumour sparked off in 2007 when Dhoni admitted to having a crush on her and invited her to the T-20 cricket match against Australia. However, the two never admitted to their romance in public.

Shoaib Akhtar and Sonali Bendre

The former Pakistani cricketer and Sonali Bendre met during the Indo-Pak series in 2004, and in some interviews, Shoaib admitted his feelings for Sonali. There were even reports that he proposed marriage to Sonali, but it didn’t materialise as Shoaib’s mother was against the relationship.

PHOTO: LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP