Indian cricketers who got hitched in 2013

Ashoke Dinda

Ashoke Dinda and Sreyasi Rudra

The fast bowler, famous for his humongous leaps just before his delivery of the ball, took the biggest leap of faith this year when he married his girlfriend Sreyasi Rudra in a traditional Bengali wedding on July 22. Sreyasi is a software engineer.

Manoj Tiwari, fresh from his own wedding, was there to attend his friend and Bengal teammate Dinda’s big moment. The 29-year-old Dinda met Sreyasi four years ago at a friend’s home.

They had decided during this year’s IPL to wed in July. “We met again after a few years at a party and I liked her, but we did not exchange numbers. After our third meeting, I took her number from a friend and we kept in touch. She is the most sober girl I’ve ever met. I made her meet my mom one and half years ago. I gave her hints about my feelings then, but she brushed me off. I kept pursuing her till she gave in,” Dinda had said.

Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara and Puja Babari

Indian Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara’s wedding to Puja Babari, took place on 13 February, 2013 at Kalawad Road in Rajkot, Gujarat. There was no letoff for Pujara though as just days after his wedding, he had to report to Bangalore for a cricket camp ahead of the series against Australia. It was an ‘arranged marriage’ with Pujara’s father and Puja’s parents having met and decided on the engagement and wedding before Cheteshwar and Puja had met themselves.

Pujara in fact shot to fame after his comments following his first match after his wedding where he had said in the post match press conference: “There was a bit of pressure on me. I just got married, and my wife was worried I should perform,” he had said.

The batsman had meant it in earnest taking a view of the match, but unfortunately it was enough to get Twitter-heads and Facebookers rolling.