Cricketers hit the headlines for all the right and wrong reasons. Like when they score a century, claim a hat-trick, create a massive record, engage in a titanic tussle during the passage of play, they are given non-stop media coverage.
At the same time, they are paid handsomely for representing the country and they are known to lead a luxurious life. Apart from earning in the international arena, they also get tonnes of bonuses from the cash-rich Indian Premier League. They also get paid through advertisements and for endorsing the brands. To put it in simple terms, earning money for them is as easy as a pie.
Cricketers also love to lead the team by an epitome of class. We just can’t judge their character based on their attitude on the field. They play with passion, pride, grit and determination to win games and in the process, some display sheer aggressiveness. But off the field, cricketers are totally different altogether.
Cricketers are also highly active in personal life despite being busy with national commitments. Stories of cricketers dating models or girlfriends and getting hitched are many. Have you heard about cricketers becoming fathers before actually getting married? This is something new.
Let’s take a glimpse at five cricketers who became fathers before getting married.
Vivian Richards
The first one on the list is West Indies’ legendary cricketer Sir Vivian Richards. The former cricketer was deeply in love with Bollywood actress Neena Gupta and their love story needs no introduction. The couple took the world by shock when Neena gave birth to Masaba Gupta even before they officially got hitched.
Joe Root
Joe Root is well known for his batting skills in the game of cricket. He is one among the fab four batsmen in modern-day cricket. The 29-year-old English batsman became father even before his marriage with Kerry Cottrell.
The couple dated each other for a very long time, and they finally got engaged in 2016. The couple gave birth to Alfred on 7 January 2017, and after that, they got married in 2018.
Vinod Kambli
The former Indian batsman Vinod Kambli was probably the first Indian cricketer who tasted the parenthood before getting married. Vinod Kambli’s personal life has been a tad controversial as he divorced his first wife and then had an affar with fashion model Andrea Hewitt.
David Warner
Nobody would have expected this. Yes, David Warner became father before getting married. David Warner and Candice Warner gave birth to a daughter named Evie Warner.
Evie was born on 11 September 2014 and ultimately, David Warner and Candice Warner later got married post the 2015 ICC World Cup. The couple have three daughters – Evie, Indi Rae, and Isla Rose Warner, with Isla (youngest one).
Hardik Pandya
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya stunned the cricket fraternity with a sudden announcement recently. The all-rounder has been out of cricket action for the last few months due to an injury issue and then became highly active in his personal life. One day, all of a sudden, he took to his official Instagram handle and announced that he was going to become a father soon.
There are several speculations that are being made about Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic’s marriage. Nonetheless, he hasn’t been officially married so far, although several reports suggested that the couple had a quarantine wedding.
As per some reports, the couple tied the knot and others add that the child is out of wedlock. If reports from Filmfare are to be believed, Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic got married during the lockdown itself. Earlier, Hardik Pandya posted a video of himself proposing Natasha Stankovic on 1 January 2020.