When cricketing stars get besotted by Bollywood belles, they often form a formidable partnership.
We take a look at some long and short innings
Mohammad Azharuddin–Sangeeta Bijlani
Love blossomed between former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin and model-turned-actress Sangeeta Bijlani when they met at a social do and started going out on secret dates. In 1996, Azhar left his wife and kids and married Sangeeta despite stiff resistance from his parents. Thirteen years on, they remain a happy couple with Sangeeta accompanying hubby Azhar on all his election campaign trails.
Yuvraj Singh–Kim Sharma
Kim's movie career never took off but she made enough news being flashy young cricketer Yuvraj Singh's arm candy. But Yuvraj's disapproving mum never liked Kim. Sure enough, after carrying on for more than four years the couple parted ways in 2007.
Zaheer Khan–Isha Sharvani
Indian pacer Zaheer Khan and aspiring actress Isha Sharvani hit it off during a party in Mumbai and began a torrid affair. They had even planned to live together but broke up after two years. The reason: Zaheer wanted to tie the knot soon, but Isha wasn't ready for any marital commitment as she wanted to focus on her career.
Usman Afzal– Amrita Arora
English cricketer Usman Afzal and struggling actress Amrita Arora had a roaring affair. So much so that Usman even got Amrita's name tattooed on his arm. But the relationship turned sour and they finally called it quits after three years. Barely a year later, Amrita married businessman Shakeel Ladak earlier this year.
Deepika–Dhoni-Yuvraj
Deepika Padukone was introduced to cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni at Shah Rukh Khan's bash. Both fell for her, but Deepika chose the suave Yuvraj over the rustic Dhoni. The two were often seen together. However, after a very brief fling with Yuvraj, she dumped him for upcoming star Ranbir Kapoor.
Sourav Ganguly-Nagma
Happily married to childhood friend and dancer Donna, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly fell for Telugu beauty Nagma. The couple were spotted at a temple in Andhra Pradesh and just when it appeared that Sourav would follow in the footsteps of teammate Azhar, he had a sudden change of heart and returned to his wife Donna.
Movies on cricket
HITS
Lagaan (2001): Easily the most popular movie on cricket. Was also India's entry to the Oscars
Iqbal (2005): Didn't do too well commercially but got critical acclaim for director Nagesh Kukunoor
Jannat (2008): Based on match-fixing scandals, it had Emraan Hashmi giving his best performance
MISSES
Victory (2009): Starred cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Brett Lee and Jayasuriya. Victory was a lost cause for Hurman Baweja
Awwal Number (1990): Dev Anand hasn't made a decent movie in ages and Awwal Number was no exception
