Love, both on and off the field, has its own magic, and as we celebrate Valentine's Day, what better way to revel in the spirit of romance than by exploring the heartwarming tales of Indian sports couples? Beyond the victories and defeats, these athletes have found love in each other, creating a symphony of passion and companionship. In this special feature, we dive into the lives of the Top 8 Indian Sports Couples, unravelling their unique stories that go beyond the sports arena.

Top 10 Indian Sports Couples and their stories

Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap

The Indian badminton stars are one of the most prominent Indian Sports Couples. Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap met each other through badminton in 1997. But they started meeting each other in 2002 when they trained together in Hyderabad. They started dating in 2004 when they started training under Pullela Gopichand. Though at first, they decided to keep it a secret and appeared in public just as close friends. Finally, they broke out as a couple and got married in 2018.

"We dated for a long, long time. It was childish that we hid it from all our friends. We would be very secretive about it. We were shy and scared," Kashyap said about their early dating life. Both the badminton stars have been a motivating force for their partners through tough times with injuries and forms. Since mid-2018, Kashyap started coaching Saina as well. 

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Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal

Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal are one of Indian Sports Couples who do not belong to the same sports. Dinesh Karthik, a prominent name in Indian cricket and Dipika Pallikal, one of the best squash players in the country met each other in a gym. Dipika, who did not use to like cricketers due to their popularity, cleared his misconceptions about Indian Cricketers when she started having a friendship with Dinesh. Soon, they started going out and the friendship turned into love. 

On 15 November 2013, the couple made their relationship official with an engagement ceremony and later married in 2015 in Chennai. The couple now are blessed with two twin baby boys.

Also Read: 'Dhoni mania was so big that you had to pick him…He replaced me in all formats', – Dinesh Karthik

Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur

Milkha Singha and Nirmal Kaur were probably the first-ever Indian Sports Couple. Mikha Singh, a sensational track and field athlete met Nirmal Kaur, the then captain of the Indian Volleyball Women's team during a tour in Sri Lanka. "It was in 1957 during the Indo-Ceylon sports meet that I met Nirmal for the first time," Milkha Singh had told The Tribune during an interview.

In 1962, Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur got married and they had three daughters and a son. India's golf sensation Jeev Milkha Singh is their son. Both Milkha Singh and Nirmal Kaur passed away in a difference of five days in 2021 due to Covid-19.

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Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari

The biggest names of Indian Archery, Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari first met each other in 2008 at Tata Academy in Jamshedpur. The early days of their relationship were filled with misunderstandings, communication gaps, and two big egos. Since Atanu was not very good with his Hindi, he never used to talk with Deepika in their early days. "He didn't know Hindi then, so he wouldn't talk to me," Deepika told Indian Express in an interview. 

Though they used to fight over small things during their time in training, the duo started liking each other during the 2017 World Championships and started going out shopping together. They got engaged the following year and tied the knot on 30 June 2020.

Also Read: Mohammed Shami Receives Arjuna Award; Badminton Duo Satwik & Chirag Collect the Khel Ratna Award

Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat

One of the biggest names in Indian Wrestling Bajrang Punia and Sangeet Phogat found their love in their profession. Both wrestlers first met each other at a wrestling camp in Sonepat and started liking each other. Bajrang would send his phone number to Sangeeta expecting to get a reply from her. However, Sangeeta did not reply to her. But, the next day they met each other in training and expressed liking for each other. The wrestlers got married in November 2020.

Pullela Gopichand and PVV Lakshmi

Pullela Gopichand, the backbone of the Indian badminton revolution found his love in the Badminton court itself. PVV Lakshmi, the 8-time national champion married Gopichand on June 5 2002. Gopichand rose to fame after winning the All England Badminton Championships in 2001 and won the Arjuna Award that year as well. Meanwhile, PVV Lakshmi was the first-ever Indian women shuttler to qualify for the Olympics. She featured in the 1992 & 1996 Olympics.

PVV Lakshmi stood as a pillar of strength for Gopichand when he started building the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. Lakshmi would help Pullela with some monetary help during their early days of building the academy. They even went on to mortgage their family home to raise money for the academy. They have two children, a daughter named Gayathri and a son named Vishnu. Gayathri is already a rising name in World Badminton.

Anju Bobby George and Robert Bobby George

The queen of Indian Athletics Anju Bobby George and former triple jump National champion come at number seven in our list of Indian Sports Couples. Anju Bobby George was the first Indian to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships when she won the bronze in the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. At that time Robert used to be her coach and after her historic medal in 2003, Robert won the Dronacharya award in 2004 as well.

Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian

It looks like wrestlers find their love in their sport more than often. Sakshi Malik, the Rio Olympic Bronze Medal winner and Satyawart Kadian, a silver medalist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games used to go to the same school as teenagers. 

Though Satyawart used to be a heavyweight champion since his early days, she used to always shy away from Sakshi Malik, the star of his school. However, the two started bonding with time and supported each other in tough times. Satyawart missed the Rio Olympics berth by one second but kept on supporting Sakshi even though he was having a tough time personally. They both tied the knot in 2017 after Sakshi's historical medal in 2016.

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has gone to achieve unprecedented success in global cricket scenario. Over its illustrious journey, the tournament has also accommodated several stars and match-winners.

The league is currently amid its eighteen edition and is all set to kick off on March 22. The 10 teams will lock horns against each other in a bid to clinch the title. 

Also Read: IPL 2025: Captains of every franchise

So, before the start of the season let's take a look at the IPL facts that which player has lost the most games in IPL history.

IPL Facts | Most defeats for a player in IPL

1. Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli has played 252 matches from 2008-24, in which he has scored 8004 runs at a strike rate of 132.0 and an average of 38.7. 

Even though Virat is the highest run scorer in IPL history, there is also a statistic that he is also the cricketer who has lost the most matches in IPL.

2. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik's name comes second in the list of players who lost the most matches in IPL. Karthik has scored 4842 runs at a strike rate of 135.4. He played for many IPL teams and finally retired while being a part of RCB.

3. Rohit Sharma 

The most successful skipper of the tournament– Rohit Sharma's name comes third in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. He has played 257 matches in IPL, in which he has faced defeat in 119 matches. During this period, his bat has scored 6628 runs at a strike rate of 131.14.

Before shifting his base to the Mumbai franchise, Rohit was a part of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers side.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL history

4. MS Dhoni 

While MS Dhoni holds the record for playing the most matches in IPL, he is fourth in the list of players who have lost the most matches in IPL. Mahi has played 264 matches in IPL, in which he scored 5243 runs at a strike rate of 137.54 and an average of 39.13.

Mahi, who made Chennai champion 5 times, comes at number 6 in terms of scoring most runs.

5. Shikhar Dhawan 

Shikhar Dhawan, popularly known as Gabbar, comes at number 5 in the list. He has played 222 matches, in which he has faced defeat in 108 matches. During this time Dhawan has scored 6769 runs at a strike rate of 127.14 and an average of 35.26.

Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's premier List A cricket tournament, has provided a platform for players to make their mark in domestic cricket. 

The competition features a mix of seasoned professionals, IPL stars, and young talents aiming for to prove themselves.

Also Read: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Knockout fixture and schedule

let's have a look at the top 10 batters with most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy history.

Most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy

1. Ankit Bawne | 3960 Runs

Maharashtra veteran batter Ankit Bawne scored the most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy history. 

He scored 3960 runs in VHT in 88 innings of 93 matches at an average of 56.57 and a strike rate of 80.03.

Bawne also holds the record for the most century in VHT, registering 15 tons. He broke Ruturaj Gaikwad's record of 12 centuries.

His highest scored is 184*.

2. Dinesh Karthik | 3433 Runs

Senior wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who played for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket, scored 3433 runs in 71 innings of 79 matches with 9 centuries and 19 half-centuries.

His highest score is 154*.

3. Manish Pandey | 3403 Runs

Manish Pandey, who led Karnataka in Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored 3403 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament in 99 innings of 103 matches. 

He scored runs at an average of 44.77 and a strike rate of 93.66. His highest score is 142*.

Pandey is the fourth batsman in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy to score 20 plus half centuries (25).

4. Priyank Panchal | 3395 Runs

Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal scored 3395 runs in 83 matches at an average of 42.97 and a strike rate of 80.77.

The right-handed batter smashed 8 centuries and 20 half-centuries for Gujarat. 

Panchal is the first player to score a triple century for Gujarat. He was the leading run-scorer for Gujarat in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with 542 runs in seven matches.

His highest score in VHT is 136.

5. Mayank Agarawal | 3304 Runs

Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal scored 3304 runs in 69 innings of 70* matches. He scored at an average of 53.29 and a strike rate of 99.81.

He has 11 centuries and 16 half-centuries to his name. His highest score in VHT is 162. 

Mayank was once India's mainstay opener in Test cricket as he opened alongside Rohit Sharma. However, the emergence of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as well as a dip in his own firm worked against him.

He has over 5,300 runs in List A cricket.

6. Prashant Chopra | 3280 Runs

Himachal Pradesh batter Prashant Chopra scored 3280 runs in 80 innings of 81 matches at an average of 42.59 and a strike rate of 81.57.

Prashant smashed 6 centuries and 20 half-centuries for Himachal. His highest score in VHT is 159.

He was the leading run-scorer for Himachal Pradesh in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 329 runs in six matches.

Prashant was also bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL auction.

7. Mandeep Singh | 3238 Runs

Punjab batter Mandeep Singh scored 3238 runs in 91 innings of 101 matches. He scored at an average of 39.01 and a strike rate of 77.93.

He hit 4 centuries and 23 half-centuries for Punjab with a highest score of 119. 

He was the highest run scorer in 2015 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Mandeep was also one of the most consistent run scorers in latest editions of Ranji Trophy.

8. Ganesh Satish | 3210 Runs 

Ganesh Satish, former Karnataka batsman, now representing Vidarbha, scored 3210 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored in 93 innings of 98 matches at an average of 38.67 and a strike rate of 78.88.

He smashed 5 centuries and 21 half-centuries in VHT. His highest score is 140*.

Ganesh became the eighth batsman to aggregate 2000 plus runs in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy.

9. Yashpal Singh | 3193 Runs 

The former Services middle-order batter, Yashpal Singh amassed 3193 runs in 69 innings of 72 matches at an impressive average of 60.24. 

Between 2008-2019, Yashpal represented Manipur, Tripura and Services before plying his trade for Sikkim in the latter half of his career.

He has 10 centuries and 21 half-centuries to his name with highest score of 134*. 

10. Saurabh Tiwary | 3190 Runs

Jharkhand batter Saurabh Tiwary scored 3190 runs in 85 innings of 89 matches at an average of 49.07 and a strike rate of 83.48.

He has 5 centuries and 20 half-centuries to his name with a highest score of 130*.

Tiwary was called into the squad for the 2010 Asia Cup, but did not play. He made his ODI debut against Australia in Visakhapatnam in October 2010 after a few first-choice players were rested.

The year 2025 is going to be exciting for Indian sports fans as it promises an action-packed calendar. This includes world events in hockey, squash, boxing, badminton, shooting and cricket, alongside the National Games and Khelo India competitions. The country is set to witness a wide range of sporting events this year. 

Also Read: Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024: Full Winners List

After bidding goodbye to an eventful 2024, an exciting 2025 awaits sports fans as far as India are concerned. India will host several big competitions across sports this year, including the Women’s ODI World Cup and the Para World Athletics Championships.

Apart from hosting competitions, India will also take part in several multi-nation tournaments internationally, including the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in a hybrid model with matches taking place in Pakistan and UAE.

Also Read: ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule announced

Several Indian athletes and teams, including the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker, will be in action this year. The India women’s cricket team will hope to end a long wait to possibly clinch the Women’s ODI World Cup.

Here’s the complete list of major sports events in India 2025.

Major sports events in India 2025

India's leading recurve archer Deepika Kumari won her sixth World Cup final medal by winning silver in the Archery World Cup 2024 final in Tlaxcala, Mexico on Sunday. 

Also Read: West Bengal Rifle Association conducts workshop under former Olympian Jitu Rai to help pistol shooters in Bengal

In the Archery World Cup 2024 final match, Deepika had to face defeat by 0-6 against Li Jiaman of China. Deepika, the 2010 Commonwealth Games champion, had performed brilliantly in the quarter and semi-finals. She defeated Li's Chinese teammate Yang Xiaolei 6-0 and then defeated bronze medalist Alejandra Valencia 6-4 in her own home ground. But in the gold medal match, she lost to Jiaman, who had won the silver medal in the team event at the Paris Olympics 2024.

This was Deepika's ninth World Cup final

Recorded a spectacular victory in the semi-finals, Deepika was participating in the Archery World Cup final for the ninth time. The Indian archer also finished runners-up on five occasions - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2024. She won the bronze medal in 2018.

Till now Dola Banerjee is the only Indian who won an archery gold medal in the World Cup final. She achieved this feat in 2007 in Dubai.

Deepika could not maintain the momentum

Deepika was seeded third among eight archers. After a spectacular win in the semi-finals against  Valencia, Deepika could not maintain the momentum. She lost the first set by one point (26-27). Despite improvement in the second set, Chinese archer Li took a 2-0 lead (30-28) with 30 points including an X-ring shot.

The decision was taken in the third set. Deepika's second arrow landed in the red 7-ring, allowing Li to claim victory with three solid 9 points. She won the set 27-25 and secured the gold medal in his first World Cup final.

Deepika recently became a mother

Four-time Olympic medalist Deepika returned to the World Cup after the birth of her daughter in December 2022. Three years later, she made a comeback in the World Cup final.

Deepika performed poorly in Paris Games

At the Paris Olympics, Deepika Kumari participated in two events - the women's individual and women's team with Bhajan Kaur and Ankita Bhakat. Her run ended in the quarter-finals in both events.

Deepika Kumari had qualified for the Archery World Cup Final based on her 2024 World Cup series rankings. She had also won an individual silver at the Shanghai World Cup.

Also Read: "Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didn’t win a medal": Mary Kom hints to make a comeback in Pro-Boxing

Dhiraj lost in the first round

In the men's recurve category, Dhiraj Bommadevara lost to Paris Olympics bronze medalist Lee Woo-seok of South Korea in the first round despite being ahead by 4.2 seconds. The five-member Indian team had three compound and two recurve archers. Only one medal has come in India's bag. 

The Archery World Cup features the world's top eight archers, who qualify either by winning one of the three World Cup stages or based on their world ranking. 

The 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 is back with more excitement and star-studded line-ups to entertain the fans. Famous power-hitting stars like Dinesh Karthik, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Marcus Stoinis are joining in. Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson are also there to bring the heat in.

Two New Teams Join the Fight

Earlier, the tournament played 8 teams, which got increased to 10 this year. This season sees two new teams: Bolts Ajman and UP Nawabs. More teams mean more action. The tournament is ready for high energy.

Defending Champs and Returning Teams

The defending champion New York Strikers will be back to protect their title. Apart from the Deccan Gladiators, others like the Northern Warriors and Delhi Bulls will be back in full strength. The Bengal Tigers and Team Abu Dhabi are also ready. Morrisville Samp Army will compete as well. The Chennai Brave Jaguars have a new name. They were formerly called The Chennai Braves.

Player Draft to Finalize Squads

Teams are doing their preparations after being done with their retentions and signings. The big Players Draft happens soon. It’s on October 17 at 6 pm UAE time. Over 400 players are up for grabs. Teams will finalize their lineups after this.

Disney Star will cover the event, airing in English and other languages. The tournament will be played from November 21 to December 2. The final will be played on UAE’s 53rd National Day at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The stadium will host until 2028. 

Team Retentions and signings

New York Strikers
New Signings: Matheesha Pathirana, Donovan Ferreira
Retentions: Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hossain, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jawadulla

Deccan Gladiators
New Signings: Jos Buttler, Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis
Retentions: Maheesh Theekshana, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Tom Koher-Cadmore, Zahoor Khan

Delhi Bulls
New Signings: Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Wade
Retentions: Rovman Powell, Muhammad Rohid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazlahaq Farooqi, James Vince

Team Abu Dhabi
New Signings: Jonny Bairstow, Lockie Ferguson, Shimron Hetmyer, AM Ghazanfar
Retentions: Phil Salt, Noor Ahmad, and Kyle Mayers

Northern Warriors
New Signings: Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood
Retentions: Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ankur Sangwan

Morrisville Samp Army
New Signings: David Willey, Imad Wasim
Retentions: Faf du Plessis, Qais Ahmad, Andries Gous

Bangla Tigers
New Signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik
Retentions: Hazratullah Zazai, Dasun Shanaka, Joshua Little

Chennai Brave Jaguars
New Signings: Chris Lynn, Nuwan Thushara, Thisara Perera, Dan Lawrence, and Rassie van der Dussen
Retentions: Aayan Khan, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

UP Nawabs
New Signings: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, and André Fletcher

Bolts Ajman
New Signings: James Neesham, Mujheeb Ur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali