Over the years, we have witnessed several players who have been excellent in all aspects of cricket. However, there have also been players, who have excelled at cricket as well as in other sports. They have made their team and country proud in more than one sport.
While some played a different sport in their childhood and then switched to cricket, some took up other sports after they retired from cricket. For example, former England cricketer Ian Botham was a talented footballer who played in the English Football League. South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes was once part of the country’s hockey team.
Just like them, many Indian cricketers too have played multiple sports in their life. They have made a name for themselves in cricket as well as in different sports. In this article, we take a look at five Indian cricketers who have played other sports:
#5 Yuzvendra Chahal
Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the top white-ball spinners in the country. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in the T20I format, with 79 wickets in 62 matches. His wickets tally includes two four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul with 6/25 as his best figures in T20Is.
The leg-spinner was also a former chess player. He has played for India at the junior levels. Chahal won the National Under-12 Championship in Kolkata in 2002. He has also represented the country at the Asian and the World U12 Junior Championships. The Rajasthan Royals cricketer wanted to make a name for himself in Chess. However, due to a lack of sponsorships, he couldn’t continue with the sport.
Chahal then started practicing cricket on the playground that his father built for him on their agricultural land. Overall, he has 197 International wickets for India in limited-overs cricket in 129 matches. The leg-spinner is yet to make his Test debut for the country.
#4 Ajit Agarkar
Former India cricketer Ajit Agarkar is probably one of the most underrated cricketers to have played for India. He had a good career for the country, especially in white-ball cricket. Along with his pace bowling, he was also a very capable batter for India in the lower batting order.
Ajit Agarkar has taken 349 wickets in 221 international matches across formats, at an average of 31.09 and an economy rate of 4.51. His wickets tally includes three five-wicket hauls. The bowling all-rounder’s best figures of 6/41 came during India’s famous win in Adelaide in 2003-04. He also has a century at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Post-retirement, Ajit Agarkar took up golf. He has had an impressive run in the sport so far and has won a few amateur tournaments as well. In 2016, Ajit won the finals of the BMR World Corporate Gold Challenge India. It took place at the Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru.
#3 Kapil Dev
Former India cricketer Kapil Dev is perhaps the greatest all-rounder that the country has ever produced. He has several records to his name for India at the international level. The all-rounder has inspired generations to take up the sport all over the world.
Kapil Dev led the Indian team to the 1983 World Cup title. In his 225 matches ODI career, he has taken 253 wickets and scored 3783 runs, with an unbeaten 175 during the 1983 World Cup. The all-rounder has also over 5000 Test runs and 343 wickets to his name.
After retirement, Kapil Dev took up golf and has represented India in various senior amateur golf tournaments. In 2018, he was chosen along with Rishi Narain and Amit Luthra to represent the country at the Asia Pacific Senior 2018. Kapil was also included as a board member of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
#2 Jemimah Rodrigues
Batter Jemimah Rodrigues is one of the youngest batting sensations in Indian cricket at the moment. She made her debut for the country in February 2018 against South Africa Women in a T20I match at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom. So far, the right-handed batter has scored 394 runs for India at an average of 19.70, including three half-centuries in Women’s ODI.
Jemimah has also scored over 1000 runs in T20Is for India, with six fifties to her name. Earlier this year, the youngster was not part of the World Cup team for India. During that time, she swapped her bat for a hockey stick and played for the UK United Girl’s hockey team.
The Mumbai-born player has been a high-level hockey player. At just nine, years old she first broke into the U17 Maharashtra hockey team. Jemimah used to play hockey for her school, St Joseph’s in Bandra in an inter-college league. The young cricketer is currently part of the Indian team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Two minutes, two goals for Indian women's cricketer #JemimahRodrigues in a local rink hockey tournament in Mumbai.
Absolute juggernaut on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/yC0sKQFKp3
— Amit Kamath (@jestalt) February 11, 2022
#1 Chuni Goswami
Chuni Goswami has represented Bengal in 46 first-class matches and has scored 1592 runs at an average of 28.42. His run tally includes a hundred and seven fifties. Goswami also bowled medium-pace bowling. He has 47 wickets to his name at an average of 24.08.
Before playing cricket, Chuni Goswami was a renowned footballer. He played 50 international matches for India and led the team to Gold Medal at the 1962 Asian Games. India also won the Silver medal at the 1964 Asia Cup under his captainship. He was also part of the Indian team in the Summer Olympics of 1960.
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