The bond between Bollywood and sports is very old and so are the love affairs between sportpersons and film stars. While some of them take their love to the next level, there are some who end things on a bad note and then there are some who come to terms with their differences and continue to be friends.
Here’s a list:
1. Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
Considered as the first celebrity couple from Bollywood and cricket, Sharmila Tagore and Tiger Pataudi met in Delhi in 1965. He developed an instant liking for her and proposed her soon but it took him four years to persuade her and their families for the marriage. Despite the opposition from both their families, they went on to enjoy a very happy married life. Sharmila was at the peak of her career with big hits like Aradhana, Amar Prem and Daag, when she married the Nawab of Pataudi.
2. Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan
Reena Roy was at the peak of her career when she fell in love with Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan. Roy, who has blockbuster films like Nagin, Kalicharan, Jaani Dushman, Naseeb to her credit, gave up her flourishing Bollywood career to marry him in 1983. However, this cross-border love story came to an end soon. The failure of Khan’s acting career coupled with his family and social circle not accepting Reena led to a bitter divorce.
3. Sangeeta Bijlani and Mohammad Azharuddin
Mohammad Azharuddin ceremoniously married former Miss India Sangeeta Bijlani in 1996 after ending his nine year long marriage with his first wife. However, the couple separated in 2010 after 14 years of marriage.
4. Neena Gupta and Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Vivian Richards aka the king of batsmen was already married when he had an affair with actress Neena Gupta in the 1980s. Even though the duo didn’t tie the knot, they were in a serious relationship for a brief period and even have a daughter, Masaba, who is now a successful fashion designer.
5. Ravi Shastri and Amrita Singh
Considered as one of the most handsome cricketers of India, Ravi Shastri had his own fan base that only grew better when he went on to become the captain of the team. This Champion of Champions was reportedly in a relationship with actress Amrita Singh. But they soon broke up and Shastri married Ritu Singh in the late 90s.
6. Nagma and Sourav Ganguly
The Prince of Kolkata was at the height of his cricket and captaincy when he met Nagma. They were allegedly dating each other which garnered a lot of media attention then. Sourav, who was married to Dona, maintained a ‘no comments’ stance on this issue whereas Nagma confessed that there was something between them. As the media speculation began to take a toll on Sourav’s flourishing career, he decided to end all ties with the actress.
7. Zaheer Khan and Isha Sharvani
Zaheer Khan and Isha Sharvani were seen together for nearly 10 years (and marriage was on the cards too!) before they called off their relationship. The reason behind their split is not known but it is said they ended their relationship mutually and continue to remain good friends.
8. Amrita Arora and Usman Afzal
Amrita Arora, who has movies like Golmaal Returns, Kambakkht Ishq and Awaara Pagal Deewana to her credit, had a four year long relationship with English cricketer Usman Afzal before she tied the knot with businessman Shakeel Ladak in 2009. Afzal, who played three Test matches for England, wanted to focus more on his cricket career and thus, they both decided to end their relationship mutually in 2008.
9. Garfield Sobers and Anju Mahendru
The West Indian cricket legend, Garfield Sobers, was on an Indian tour in the 1960s when he fell in love with actress Anju Mahendru. Anju’s family didn’t agree to their relationship and even forbade her from seeing him which eventually led to their break up.
10. Imran Khan and Zeenat Aman
Imran Khan-Zeenat Aman affair came to light in the 70s and became the much talked about story in town. However, the relationship did not culminate into marriage and Zeenat went on to marry actor Mazhar Khan while Imran married Jemima Goldsmith.
11. Sarika and Kapil Dev
During the early 1980s, it was Kapil Dev’s alleged relationship with actress Sarika Thakur that became the talk of the town. However, Kapil Dev married his longtime girlfriend Romi Bhatia while Sarika married actor Kamal Haasan.
12. Sushmita Sen and Wasim Akram
The former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen had co-judged a reality show named Ek Khiladi, Ek Haseena with Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram. The two were then said to be romantically involved with each other. However, Sen turned down these reports by saying that Akram was only a friend.
13. Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi
Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta made her Bollywood debut with 2003 movie, Andaaz. This charming actress married Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi ceremoniously in 2007. They have a daughter named Saira.
14. Geeta Basra and Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is said to have dated Geeta Basra for nine long years before getting married in 2015. Known for her roles in movies like The Train and Dil Diya Hai, Basra got acquainted with Bhajji through a common friend in 2007. The couple got media attention in 2008 when Geeta was spotted visiting a hotel where Singh was staying. They tied the knot last year.
15. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli
The much talked about couple, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli dated for two years before they decided to part their ways in February 2016. The couple was seen together at various events and also did an advertisement together. From social media to the cricket field, this fairy-tale story garnered a lot of attention from people.
16. Hazel Keech and Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh proposed Hazel Keech for marriage in 2015 while they were vacationing in Bali. Keech is known for her role in Bodyguard, in which she played Kareena Kapoor’s best friend. Yuvraj Singh was also rumoured to be involved with other actresses earlier, namely, Kim Sharma and Deepika Padukone.
17. Saleem Durrani and Parveen Babi
Saleem Durrani and Parveen Babi allegedly had a short-lived but talked about affair during the 70s. Durrani was the first cricketer to star in a Bollywood movie named Charitra, opposite Parveen Babi. However, this relationship ended after sometime.
18. Chitrangada Singh and Jyoti Randhawa
Model-turned-actress Chitrangada Singh made her Bollywood debut with film, Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi in 2003. This bollywood beauty married golfer Jyoti Randhawa in 2001. However, problems cropped up between them when Chitrangada settled in Mumbai to pursue her acting career while Jyoti stayed in Delhi. The couple divorced in 2014.