Navjot Singh Sidhu
Known for his aggressive batting and later, his colourful commentary, Navjot Singh Sidhu has had an equally dynamic political career. He began his political journey in 2004, winning the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
He held the seat for a decade, securing re-election in 2009. After a stint as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha in 2016, he resigned from the BJP. In 2017, he joined the Indian National Congress, winning a seat in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and serving as a minister in the state government. His political career has been marked by party switches and bold statements, culminating in his appointment as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in 2021 before he resigned from the post following the 2022 assembly elections.
Gautam Gambhir
A key architect of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup victories, Gautam Gambhir took the political plunge in 2019. Joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he successfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from the East Delhi constituency, winning by a significant margin. As a Member of Parliament from 2019 to 2024, he was known for his active presence and initiatives in his constituency. However, in March 2024, Gambhir announced his decision to step away from politics, requesting the party leadership to relieve him of his duties to focus on his commitments to cricket, which included coaching roles.
Kirti Azad
A member of the historic 1983 World Cup-winning squad, Kirti Azad followed in the footsteps of his father, a former Bihar Chief Minister, and entered politics. His long political career began with the BJP, serving as an MLA in Delhi before being elected to the Lok Sabha from Darbhanga, Bihar, for multiple terms. After a public falling out over issues related to the Delhi and District Cricket Association, he was suspended from the BJP in 2015. He later joined the Indian National Congress in 2019 and then the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Azad secured a victory for the TMC from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency in West Bengal.
Mohammad Azharuddin
One of India's most stylish batsmen and a successful captain during the 1990s, Mohammad Azharuddin turned to politics after his cricketing career ended amidst controversy. He joined the Indian National Congress in 2009 and made a successful electoral debut, winning the Lok Sabha seat from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. His subsequent electoral forays were less successful; he lost the 2014 election from a constituency in Rajasthan and an assembly election in Telangana in 2023. In 2018, he was appointed the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and more recently became a minister in the Telangana state cabinet in late 2025.
Harbhajan Singh
Famed spin bowler Harbhajan Singh is one of the more recent cricketers to enter the political fray. In 2022, the World Cup winner was nominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament, representing Punjab. His tenure has not been without controversy. In May 2026, after joining a group of AAP Rajya Sabha members who switched allegiance to the BJP, he made public accusations against his former party. As a sitting Member of Parliament, he continues his second innings in the public eye from the benches of the Rajya Sabha.
Manoj Tiwary
A talented batsman from Bengal who represented India in One Day Internationals and T20s, Manoj Tiwary entered politics in 2021. He joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and successfully contested the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election from the Shibpur constituency in the same year. Following his victory, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs in the West Bengal government, a role that directly connects his past and present careers. Please note, this refers to cricketer Manoj Tiwary, not the singer and politician Manoj Tiwari who is a BJP MP from Delhi.
