Shoaib Malik to Glenn Maxwell: 7 international cricketers who married Indian women

Cricket is basically a religion in India but it also has a fascinating record as a high-profile matchmaker. Over the years, the game has crossed massive cultural, geographical and even political boundaries, resulting in some incredible real-life love stories.

From explosive cross-border romances that made the headlines to quiet, decades-long relationships, here is a look at some foreign cricketers who fell for Indian women and created lives together far beyond the boundary ropes.

This was the quintessential cross-border sports romance and it played out like a movie script. Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis champion Sania Mirza's wedding on April 12, 2010, created a media frenzy in both countries. Considering the strong political scrutiny of an India-Pakistan relationship, Shoaib and Sania became a symbol of love above borders. The duo later had a son, Izhaan, in 2018. However, after years in the spotlight, their marriage couldn’t survive the distance and the two officially got divorced in 2024.

One of the most notable early high-profile cross-cultural marriages in cricket history was that of New Zealand’s legendary batsman Glenn Turner and Sukhinder (Sukhi) Kaur, who married in 1973. Sukhi not only embraced her new life in New Zealand but she became a powerhouse in her own right, eventually becoming a prominent Member of Parliament and a highly respected mayor in New Zealand. They still are a brilliant blueprint decades later for how mutual respect can make a multicultural marriage thrive.

The Sri Lankan spin wizard, who still holds the record for the most wickets in Test history, found his match off the field in Chennai. In 2005, Muralitharan married Madhimalar Ramamurthy, the daughter of a prominent medical family that owned Malar Hospitals, as per reports. Their union beautifully tied together two cricket-obsessed cultures, and they have built a remarkably stable, quiet life together with their son.

Photo: Muttiah Muralitharan / Instagram

Talk about a total match made in heaven, or rather, the IPL. Shaun Tait, Australia’s legendary fast bowler who terrorized batsmen with his blistering pace, completely lost his heart to Indian runway supermodel Mashoom Singha. It’s the ultimate crossover of raw Aussie athletic grit and elegant Indian high fashion. After pulling off a dreamy, picture-perfect proposal during a vacation in Paris, the couple tied the knot in 2014. Their star-studded Mumbai wedding was the talk of the town, flawlessly blending relaxed, laid-back Australian vibes with the colorful, high-energy joy of traditional Indian wedding celebrations.They’ve been rock solid ever since.

Widely regarded as one of England’s most intellectual and tactical cricket captains, Mike Brearley married Gujarati beauty Mana Sarabhai back in 1970. Mana came from the highly distinguished Sarabhai industrial family in Ahmedabad. After their wedding, the couple settled into a quiet life in London, raising two children.Their enduring partnership of over fifty years proves that deep shared values can easily bridge any cultural gap.

Photo: X

In the 1980s, the intersection of Pakistani cricket and Bollywood was the peak of entertainment gossip. Dashing Pakistani opening batsman Mohsin Khan married Indian silver-screen superstar Reena Roy in a private Karachi ceremony in 1983. Mohsin was so captivated by the industry that he actually crossed over and acted in a few Bollywood films himself. Though they had a daughter together, the intense pressures proved too much, and the marriage unfortunately ended in divorce.

Australia’s big-hitting all-rounder Glenn “Mad Max” Maxwell and Vini Raman are the epitome of the modern-day cricket-couple. The pair tied the knot in March 2022. An Australian-born pharmacist of Indian descent, Vini has stuck by Maxwell through the dizzying highs and rollercoaster lows of his high-pressure career.Their wedding was a colorful, multi-day affair that celebrated Vini’s rich Indian heritage and their shared Australian roots.