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. The lives of cricket players are all that fans of the game enjoy following. Anything that happens in their lives, whether on or off the field, is a hot subject of conversation for fans if and when it becomes public. So, here are 5 cricketers who married the wife of a relative or a friend.
Virender Sehwag
Many people are unaware that Virender Sehwag, one of the most smashing openers in Indian cricket history, married a relative. His wife, Aarti Ahlawat, was related to him. The two liked each other over time, and the pair married in 2004 after being together for three years. Since then, they have been together and often post their life events on social media.
Murali Vijay
Murali Vijay’s relationship with his wife has been on the radar for a very long time. As many may remember, Nikita, the woman he is currently married to and has children with, was the wife of Vijay’s national teammate, Dinesh Karthik.
Karthik parted ways with Nikita during the Indian Premier League 2012 when she went on to marry Vijay, and he found himself on this list of cricketers who married their relative or friend’s wife.
Upul Tharanga
The storey of Upul Tharanga, his wife Nilanka Vithanage, and her relationship with Tillakaratne Dilshan is as compelling as the case of Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik.
When word got out about Nilanka’s friendship with Tharanga, she and Dilshan agreed to split up. And, after parting ways with Dilshan, she later married Tharanga.
Saeed Anwar
Saeed Anwar, one of Pakistan’s most famous cricketers at the time, married his cousin Lubna Anwar. They married in 1996 and were living happily ever after but t heir baby, Bismah, died in 2001 after a long battle with a cancer, but they worked through it with courage and determination.
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi, the most iconic and most pursued cricket player to ever come out of Pakistan, married his cousin, with whom he seemingly has no close or blood connection. Nadia Afridi, his wife, married Shahid after their families assisted them in getting together and marrying.
