Name Hindi: कीर्ति आजाद / Gender Man
Kirti Azad – A Legendary Cricketer and Politician
Among the cricket enthusiasts around the world, Kirti Azad remains a familiar name. His phenomenal performance in cricket over the past years has left an indelible trace in the sport’s history. Apart from being known for his sporting prowess, Kirti Azad is also famous for his political career in India.
Early life and Introduction to Cricket
Born on January 2, 1959, as Kirtivardhan Bhagwat Jha Azad, he developed an interest for cricket from a young age under the guidance of his father who was an avid fan of this discipline. He demonstrated promising skills that led him to represent Bihar at the Ranji Trophy inter-school tournament when he was just sixteen years old.
Career Highlights
- International debut: Kirti debuted in international cricket in 1980 against Australia during Gavaskar’s captaincy but he fetched prominence after playing Test versus England at Lord’s in 1982 where Indian team won due to his excellent bowling strategy.
- The World Cup Winner: In 1983, under Kapil Dev leadership, he was part of Team India that clinched its first-ever Cricket World Cup victory. His contributions with both bat and ball were instrumental in achieving this historic win.
- Azad’s retirement: After delivering remarkable performances consistently, Kirti decided to retire from professional cricket post-1993 season while continuing as a coach for Delhi cricket team until 2003.
An Entrance into Politics
Following his successful sports career, Kirti Azad ventured into politics in the footsteps of his father, Bhagwat Jha Azad, a former Chief Minister of Bihar. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and became an integral part as he was elected thrice to the Lok Sabha winning from Darbhanga constituency.
Subsequent Expulsion from BJP
In 2015, Kirti unveiled alleged corruption within the Delhi & District Cricket Administration – cricket’s governing body which was then headed by a fellow BJP member Arun Jaitley. As he refused to back down from his allegations despite party pressure, BJP expelled him on disciplinary grounds.
Azad’s Continued Political Career
Despite this setback, Kirti continued his involvement in politics by joining the Indian National Congress (INC). His journey in public service serving people is still ongoing while nurturing love for cricket being evident when he expresses concern about its developments and changes.
Kirti Azad has left an undying legacy both in sports and political arena, traversing through rough terrains yet standing his ground firmly against any odds. While his contributions to cricket will be eternally celebrated, his role in politics underlines strong attempts at bringing hallmark changes irrespective of turbulent times faced.
