Rinku Singh has been named in India squad for England T20Is.
India’s T20 star Rinku Singh and Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj’s families are in initial talks about their engagement and possible marriage, Priya’s father revealed.
Saroj, 26, is the youngest woman MP in the present Lok Sabha. Her father, Tufani Saroj, a three-time LS MP who now represents the Kerakat assembly seat (reserved) in the UP Vidhan Sabha, confirmed the development on Saturday.
"Initial talks with Rinku Singh's family ended on a positive note and decisions on engagement and wedding dates will be decided after Priya and Rinku sit together following the forthcoming parliamentary session and T20I series (against England),” Tufani Saroj was quoted by Times of India.
Tufani Saroj, who was in Aligarh on Thursday for discussions with Rinku's father, added, "The father of one of Priya's friends was a cricketer. Rinku and Priya met through him. They have known each other for some time, and indicated that they would marry if their families consented."
Rinku is a rare case of a cricketer marrying an active politician. While cricket and Bollywood have had countless matches, Rinku's marriage would be a unique example of a cricketer marrying an active politician.
The only other example is Ravindra Jadeja and Rivaba Solanki. Rivaba Solanki, the wife of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, is a Jamnagar (North) MLA.
She joined the BJP in 2019, three years after her marriage, and was elected to the Gujarat Assembly in 2022. While Rivaba has been frequently seen cheering on Team India in stadiums, Jadeja campaigned for her in the 2022 elections.
In 30 T20I matches for India, Rinku has scored 507 runs at an average of 46.09 and a strike rate of 165.14, with three half-centuries.
Priya Saroj had a sensational entry into politics by winning an LS election on an SP ticket at the age of 25. She is an MP from UP's Machhlishahar, a reserved constituency.