- Nasima Akter
5 Cricketers Friends with Celebrities
There are many types of friendships in the cricket community. One of these friendships is between a cricketer and a celebrity. Over the years, several cricket players got caught hanging out with different celebrities. These are just some of the more well-known players that have been reported for their friendship with celebrities:
1. KL Rahul and Nidhhi Agerwal
Plenty of Indian cricketers receive speculations on their relationships with celebrities, and KL Rahul is no different. Because he was once spotted at a dinner outing with Bollywood actress Nidhhi Agerwal, many speculated they were dating in the past.
When interviewed about their relationship, Rahul said they have known each other since their college days, and are just good friends.
KL Rahul recently married Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty. The two have been together since 2019 and often share romantic photos on social media. As a cricket player, KL Rahul is known as a member of Team India and has achieved 14 centuries across all formats.
Niddhi Agerwal meanwhile, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu. During her career, she has received the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut and recently worked on a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action-thriller film called Kalaga Thalaivan.
2. MS Dhoni and John Abraham
Former Team India skipper MS Dhoni and Bollywood hunk John Abrahan are one of the most well-known friendships between a cricketer and a celebrity. The duo has known each other for around a decade now. In one interview, John Abraham confessed that he follows cricket whenever he gets the time and that Dhoni is one of his closest friends.
John was one of the few celebrities from the Bollywood industry who attended Dhoni's wedding with Sakshi in 2010. As close friends, the two have shared interests, mainly fitness, and bikes. Reportedly, John Abraham said that Dhoni has 29 bikes and that whenever Dhoni meets John, he rides the actor's bike.
3. Aamir Khan and Sachin Tendulkar
Another pair known for their close bond is Aamir Khan and Sachin Tendulkar. According to reports, Aamir makes it a point to show his films to Sachin before it hits the screens. In addition, the Bollywood star hosted a special screening of his last release, PK, for Sachin.
When interviewed about their friendship, Tendulkar said, "I know Aamir for many years, he is a close friend and a fabulous actor as well."
It's often reported that the two first met on the sets of Aamir Khan’s film, Andaaz Apna Apna in 1989 in Mehboob Studio.
As a cricketer, Sachin played 200 Tests, 463 ODIs, and a lone T20I for India, scoring 34357 runs in a career spanning 24 years before retiring in 2013. Aamir Khan, meanwhile, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works in Hindi films with a career spanning 30 years.
4. Ranbir Kapoor and Virendra Sehwag
There are times when a cricket player and a celebrity will work together and form friendships. That was the case for Ranbir Kapoor and Virendra Sehwag. They became good friends as they bonded while shooting for a commercial. Sources say that Ranbir and Virendra Sehwag bonded well and discussed women too.
Sehwag is a former Indian cricketer who represented India from 1999 to 2013. He was known as one of the most destructive openers and became the first Indian honoured as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2009.
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012 and has won several awards, including six Filmfare Awards.
5. Kapil Dev and Pran
Among many well-known friendships between cricket players and celebrities, some friendships are older than others. One of them is the friendship between Kapil Dev and Pran.
Pran Krishan Sikand sadly passed away in 2013, but his friendship with Kapil Dev was a close one. Pran was a huge fan of Kapil Dev. Sources say that Kapil Dev revealed how Pran had offered to sponsor Kapil Dev's treatment for his knee injury in England. A report quoted Kapil Dev saying that if he had a son, he would have named him Pran.
Pran was known as the greatest villain ever in the history of Indian cinema and a character actor in Hindi cinema from the 1940s to the 1990s. As a cricketer, Kapil Dev was a fast-medium bowler and a hard-hitting middle-order batsman. In 2002, he was named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century.
