Seven foreign cricketers who married Indian women

Australian speedster Shaun Tait tied the knot with Indian model Mashoom Singha after a four-year courtship. Sudatta Mukherjee goes back in time to write about the many overseas cricketers who fell in love with Indian women and married them.

Glenn Turner and Dame Sukhinder Kaur Gill Turner:

One of the most prolific opening batsmen from New Zealand, Glenn Turner, married Indian Sukhinder Kaur Gill in July 1973. Sukhinder and Turner have two children. More popularly known as Sukhi Turner in New Zealand, she was the Mayor of Dunedin from 1995 till her retirement in 2004. She is one of the most eminent politicians from the Indian community in New Zealand.

Mike Brearley and Mana Sarabhai:

Mike Brearley, one of the most cerebral captains in the history of cricket and famous for leading England in 1981 Ashes victory, took Gujarati lessons for almost four years as his wife, Mana Sarabhai, is a Gujarati. Brearley took lessons from prominent poet Saroop Dhruv. Daughter of famous industrialist Gautam Sarabhai, Mana met Brearley during England’s tour of India 1976-77. “Gautambhai always insisted that being a jamai of Ahmedabad, Brearley should know its culture and language. That’s why I was hired to teach him Gujarati,” Saroop Dhruv was quoted as saying by the Times of India. Brearley and Mana are settled in London and have two children.

Zaheer Abbas and Rita Luthra:

One of the finest batsmen from Pakistan and the only Asian to score 100 First-Class hundreds, Zaheer Abbas met Rita in 1980s. Rita used to study interior designing in United Kingdom and Zaheer used to play for English county Gloucestershire. They got married in 1988. After marriage, Rita is now known as Samina Abbas. The couple didn’t face any opposition as Pakistani cricketer’s father was friends with Rita’s father, late KC Luthra, according to Pakistani newspaper, The Nation. Prior to Partition, the Luthras used to stay in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Zaheer and Samina now live in Karachi, where the latter runs her interior designing business.

Mohsin Khan and Reena Roy:

Mohsin Khan fell in love with Indian actress Reena Roy and later married her. The good-looking Mohsin himself went on to become an actor in Bollywood. He appeared in 13 films. However, the marriage ended in a divorce. Mohsin has a daughter from his marriage with Reena Roy.

Muttiah Muralitharan and Madhimalar Ramamurthy:

Sri Lankan cricketing legend Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in both Test and One-Day Internationals, married Chennai girl Madhimalar Ramamurthy on March 21, 2005. Madhimalar is the daughter of late Dr S. Ramamurthy and Dr Nithya Ramamurthy of Malar Hospitals. Murali and Madimalar have a son, born in January 2006.

Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza:

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was already in the news for her engagement to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza. However, in 2010, Sania broke her engagement and married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. There was much drama ahead of the wedding. Reports emerged that Malik was already married to another Hyderabadi girl, Ayesha Siddiqui. However, Malik denied the allegations but eventually confirmed the marriage when the girl’s family released marriage certificate to prove that she was in fact married to the Pakistani cricketer. Malik later got a divorce. Malik and Sania are married for four years.

Shaun Tait and Mashoom Singha:

After almost dating for four years, Australian pacer Shaun Tait married Indian ramp model Mashoom Singha on June 12, 2014. Tait had proposed to Mashoom a year back when the couple were vacationing in Paris. The wedding celebrations were spread across a week as Tait’s friends came over from Australia to Mumbai, where the wedding happened. Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan were among the attendees. Mashoom and Tait will shuttle between Mumbai and Adelaide for now.

Special mention:

Though the couple never got married but have been in the news for their famous relationship that sparked the headlines in 1980s. Indian actress Neena Gupta and West Indies legend Vivian Richards were in a relationship for quite some time in 1980s. They also have a child together, Masaba Gupta, who is now a well-known fashion designer. Neena and Sir Viv did not marry, but they have never felt the need to hide their relationship. Masaba, who even met Sir Viv’ son Mali, once famously said, “Not everyone gets to be Sir Viv’s daughter.”

Also, Sir Gary Sobers had an affair with Anjoo Mahendroo, an Indian actress and former girlfriend of India’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna, but they never married with Anjoo rekindling her relationship with Khanna after deserting Sobers.

Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=4670