Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has spoken about the crucial role his wife, Bhuvneshwari, played during the toughest period of his life after the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. The controversy led to his arrest, a lifetime BCCI ban that was later revoked, and years of public scrutiny. Sreesanth, along with Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, was arrested in May 2013 over allegations of spot-fixing.
Rajasthan Royals suspended the trio’s contracts and filed a police complaint, turning the case into one of the biggest scandals in Indian cricket. A member of India’s victorious squads at the 2007 ICC World T20 and the 2011 ODI World Cup, Sreesanth eventually returned to competitive cricket before retiring in March 2022. Looking back, he described how his relationship with Bhuvneshwari progressed over the years and how those moments eventually led to marriage.
“So, my first meeting (with his future wife) was in the school where I had gone as a guest, second meeting the very next day in a cricket ground, third meeting – 2010 – after three years – poolside with uncle and security; fourth meeting in Indore and fifth meeting – one of the best – roka (pre-wedding ceremony) when I was actually on bail,” S Sreesanth said on Lallantop.
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He also opened up about how her support helped him survive one of the darkest phases of his life. “When I was in the jail, one of the main reasons I didn’t kill myself, is her because I had promised her in 2010 that if we won the 2011 World Cup, I would marry her,” he added.
‘One Of The Reasons I Didn’t Kill Myself’: India World Cup Winner Credits Wife For Support During Jail Ordeal#Sreesanth #Cricket #WorldCup https://t.co/kNsJYGdARc
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Sreesanth further said he remains grateful to Bhuvneshwari’s family for standing by him despite the turmoil.
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“I met her when she was in 10th grade and from then till 2013, she was in touch. In 2012, I underwent toe surgery and was in wheelchair. I told her mother that I cannot marry right now since I am not sure If I will be able to play cricket. I was told by doctors that there’s 17 per cent possibility of me getting paralysed because it’s a nerve-ending surgery. I had bone marrow edema,” S Sreesanth said. “Despite what happened during that phase, they went ahead with the marriage. She is one of the main reasons even I got bail,” he added.
