Ravindra Jadeja and Riva Solanki's love story
Ace Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, also fondly called 'Sir' Ravindra Jadeja or Jaddu, needs no introduction. The all-rounder is known for his on-field prowess, though not much is written about his personal life. The Chennai Super Kings' player, Ravindra Jadeja, is married to Rivaba Solanki, who is a Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. The couple have a daughter together and they live in Gujarat.
Here's a look at Ravindra Jadeja and Rivaba Solanki's love story that will make you believe in love at first sight.
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram
'Sir' Ravindra Jadeja
Born on December 6, 1988, Ravindra Jadeja had humble beginnings in life. His father, who worked as a watchman, wanted Ravindra Jadeja to join the army, but the young boy had bigger dreams. Ravindra Jadeja always wanted to become a cricketer, and it was when he was 16 that he started taking formal coaching for it. However, with his mother's sudden death in an accident, Ravindra had almost quit. But as fate would have it, his remarkable performance in domestic cricket in 2008 caught the national team selectors’ attention. The next year, in 2009, Ravindra Jadeja got selected in the Indian cricket team. The rest, as they say, is history.
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram
Rivaba Solanki
Meanwhile, Rivaba Solanki was born in 1990 to Hardev Singh Solanki-- a bussinessman, and Prafullaba Solanki- who worked in the Indian Railways. Rivaba Solanki is the niece of Hari Singh Solanki-- a Congress politician. She has studied Mechanical Engineering from the Atmiya Institute of Technology and Science, Rajkot.
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram
When Ravindra Jadeja met Rivaba Solanki
It was in December 2015, when Ravindra Jadeja and Rivaba Solanki first met at a social gathering and they instantly clicked. Ravindra and Rivaba met through his sister Nainaba, who happened to be Rivaba's longtime friend. It was love at first sight for Ravindra Jadeja as he found Rivaba quite “attractive, educated, and understanding,” he once said in an interview. And so, the duo exchanged numbers and soon started to know each other more.
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram
From love at first sight to a commitment of a lifetime
Just three months after their first meeting, Ravindra Jadeja and Rivaba Solanki got engaged on February 5, 2016, at Jaddu's Food Field, a restaurant owned by the cricketer. Announcing the big news, Ravindra Jadeja had tweeted back then, “Time To Start New Innings. Got Engaged.”
And roughly two months later, the couple got married on April 17, 2016, in a grand ceremony at the Seasons Hotel, Rajkot.
A year later on June 8, 2017, the couple welcomed their daughter, Nidhyana.
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram
The power couple: When cricket meets politics
Over the years, while Ravindra Jadeja continues to make his mark in cricket, his wife Rivaba Jadeja (maiden name Riva Solanki) also joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and she is a Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Interestingly, in 2022, Rivaba and Ravindra Jadeja's sister, Nainaba, who was their match-maker, were political rivals during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections. While Rivaba was contesting for BJP, Nainaba was from the Congress Party!
Photo: Ravindra Jadeja/ Instagram