"Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hope, always perseveres." Anonymous. Cricketers and their love stories are not new to the audience, some survive as a couple, and some don't. Here is the list of the top ten Cricketers who married their sweethearts:
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin and Anjali first met at Mumbai airport in 1990, when Sachin was returning from his first international tour, and Anjali was at the airport to receive her mother. A while later, the two met at a mutual friend's place, talked, spent some time together, and understood each other better. Their love story seems like something that was meant to be, and it was love at first sight for both of them. Anjali is five years older than Sachin, but age is just a number, and after dating for almost five years, the duo officially tied the knot on 24th May 1995.
2. M.S Dhoni
Sakshi and Dhoni's love story is quite magical and charismatic. The duo has known each other since childhood. They went to the same school in Ranchi, but Sakshi's family later shifted to Dehradun. After ten years, they met when Team India was staying at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. Sakshi was a hotel management student and was interning with Taj. On the last day of the internship, Sakshi's manager Yudhajit Dutta introduced her to Dhoni, who instantly fell in love with her. Dhoni and Sakshi started dating in 2008 and kept their relationship private and, then in 2010, got hitched in an intimate wedding in Dehradun.
3. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav and Dona were next-door neighbours. In the evening, Sourav used to have his football practice and would pass Dona's house on the way and get a glance of her. Dona would watch Sourav play badminton and also would return his shuttlecocks. Sourav's family was against this relationship as his and Dona's family had a rivalry for ages. They secretly got married in a friend's house and did not reveal it to their parents or media, and eventually, Dona's family accepted it.
4. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya and Radhika are the most likable couple and, their love story seems like a Bollywood film as they were childhood sweethearts who became friends first and grew fond of each other. It was not until their families asked them about their fondness that they decided to take matters into their hands and stay together forever. Their parents set up the wedding on 26th September 2014.
5. Virender Sehwag
It all started when Virender's cousin married Aarti's aunt. Sehwag was seven while Aarti was five when they first saw each other. They played and grew together, and their friendship slowly became stronger with each passing day. Virender proposed to Aarti when he was only 21 and dated for five years. Their parents did not approve it but, with time, decided to bless the duo and, on 22nd April 2004, was selected for their special day.
6. Virat Kohli
In 2013, Virat and Anushka met for the first time on the set of a commercial ad. They had been in touch since the shoot. For years their relationship was a headline in cricket and the film industry. They were always open about the relationship and expressed their love on social media or events without shyness. In 2017 they tied the knot in Italy, it was a private event, and people saw it coming. In 2021 the couple were blessed with a baby girl.
7. Harbhajan Singh
It was love at first sight for Harbhajan when he saw Geeta in 'Wo Ajnabee' music video from the movie, 'The train.' Bhaji got Geeta's number from his friend and texted her but got ignored by Geeta. They decided to be friends first and went on coffee dates after the IPL matches. Within ten months, Geeta realized that Singh was a good man, and all of her people liked him, which led them to date. In 2015 they married in a Punjabi tradition after five years of dating. The duo is parents to two children now.
8. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma and Ritika met for an ad shoot as Ritika was a sports event manager by profession. She is also known as Yuvraj Singh's rakhi sister, and he was also there when the couple first met. Rohit and Ritika kept meeting each other for over six years due to their profession but weren't fond of each other. After knowing each other better, they started dating, and six years later, Rohit proposed to Ritika at the Borivali Sports Club, Mumbai.
9. Suresh Raina
Suresh and Priyanka, like any other love story, have known each other since childhood but were hardly in touch. A few years later, in 2008, they met at the airport for five minutes while traveling to Bangalore for an IPL game while Priyanka was flying back to Holland. Their wedding was more arranged than love as their mothers were close to each other and planned the wedding while Suresh was away for four months in Australia for World Cup 2015.
10. Yuvraj Singh
It was 2011 when Yuvraj and Hazel met at a friend's party, and Yuvraj was turned down by Hazel for a coffee date so many times but still complimented her for her performance in the movie Bodyguard. Hazel wasn't interested then because maybe she was dating somebody else, as Yuvraj said in an interview. Three years later, destiny brought them together when Yuvraj saw Hazel on his friend Angad Bedi's Facebook friends list. After three months, she accepted his request, and after being friends for three years, she said yes to their first date, and the rest is history. Yuvraj proposed to Hazel in Bali and got married in 2016.
