Navjot Singh Sidhu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Navjot Singh Sidhu
Sidhu in 2018
Member of Punjab Legislative Assembly
In office 11 March 2017 – 10 March 2022
Preceded by	Navjot Kaur Sidhu
Succeeded by	Jeevan Jyot Kaur
Constituency	Amritsar East
President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee
In office 18 July 2021 – 9 April 2022
Preceded by	Sunil Jakhar
Succeeded by	Amrinder Singh Raja Warring
Punjab Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs
In office 16 March 2017 – 20 July 2019
Chief Minister	Amarinder Singh
Succeeded by	Charanjit Singh Channi
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 25 April 2016 – 18 July 2016
Nominated by	Pranab Mukherjee
Preceded by	Ashok Sekhar Ganguly
Succeeded by	Roopa Ganguly
Constituency	Nominated (Sports)
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 22 May 2004 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Raghunandan Lal Bhatia
Succeeded by	Amarinder Singh
Constituency	Amritsar, Punjab
Personal details
Born	(1963-10-20) 20 October 1963 (age 61) Patiala, Punjab, India
Political party	Indian National Congress (2017–present)
Other political affiliations	Bharatiya Janata Party (2004–2016) Aawaaz-e-Punjab (2016-2017)
Spouse	Navjot Kaur Sidhu
Residence	26, Yadavmdra Colony, Mall Road, Patiala
Education	H.R. College of Commerce and Economics Government Mohindra College
Occupation	Politician cricketer media personality
Nicknames	Sherry, Sixer Sidhu, Jonty Singh
Cricket information Batting Right-handed Bowling Right-arm medium Role Batsman International information National side India (1983–1999) Test debut (cap 166) 12 November 1983 v West Indies Last Test 6 January 1999 v New Zealand ODI debut (cap 61) 9 October 1987 v Australia Last ODI 20 September 1998 v Pakistan Domestic team information Years Team 1981–2000 Punjab Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 51 136 157 205 Runs scored 3,202 4,413 9,571 7,186 Batting average 42.13 37.08 44.31 41.77 100s/50s 9/15 6/33 27/50 10/55 Top score 201 134* 286 139 Catches/stumpings 9/– 20/– 50/– 31/– Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ACC Asia Cup Winner 1988 Bangladesh Winner 1990-91 India Winner 1995 United Arab Emirates Runner-up 1997 Sri Lanka Source: ESPNcricinfo, 1 January 2009

Navjot Singh Sidhu, born on October 20, 1963, is a well-known Indian personality. He has been a professional cricketer, a popular television star, and a politician. He was once the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. He also served as the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for the state of Punjab.

Sidhu started his political journey with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004. He won the election from Amritsar and held the seat until 2014. In 2016, he was chosen for the Rajya Sabha, which is a part of India's Parliament. He later left this position and the party. In 2017, he joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly. He lost his seat in the 2022 Punjab elections.

As a cricketer, Sidhu played for 19 years, starting in 1981–82. He was known for hitting many sixes, earning him the nickname "Sixer Sidhu". He played in 51 Test matches and 136 One-Day-Internationals for India. He was part of the Indian teams that won the 1988 Asia Cup, 1990-91 Asia Cup, and 1995 Asia Cup.

After retiring from cricket, Sidhu became a cricket commentator and a television personality. He was a judge on comedy shows and a regular guest on popular TV programs like Comedy Nights with Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show. He also appeared on the reality show Bigg Boss.

Early Life and Education

Navjot Singh Sidhu was born in Patiala, Punjab, India on October 20, 1963. His father, Sardar Bhagwant Singh, was also a cricket player. He hoped his son would become a great cricketer.

Sidhu attended Yadavindra Public School in Patiala. He later studied at HR College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. He is married to Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is a doctor and a former member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

Personal Life and Nicknames

Former Pakistani cricketer and prime minister Imran Khan is a good friend of Navjot Singh Sidhu. His fellow cricketers often call him by his nickname "Sherry". He also earned the nickname "Jonty Singh" later in his career because of his improved fielding skills, similar to the famous fielder Jonty Rhodes. Sidhu is a vegetarian.

Cricket Career Highlights

Early Challenges and World Cup Success (1987)

Sidhu began his first-class career in November 1981 for Punjab. He made his Test debut for India in November 1983. After a slow start, he was dropped from the national team.

However, Sidhu made a strong comeback for the World Cup four years later. In his first One Day International (ODI) match against Australia, he scored 73 runs. He continued his excellent form, scoring four half-centuries in a row. This made him the first player to achieve this feat on debut in ODIs. He also helped India win the 1988 Asia Cup and was named "man of the tournament."

Return to Test Cricket

Sidhu returned to the Test team in November 1988, scoring a century against New Zealand. He made 116 runs, helping India win the match. His second Test century came in the West Indies later that season. He scored 116 runs on a very fast pitch, which was considered one of his best innings.

He performed well during India's tour of Pakistan in 1989–90. He scored 97 runs in one match, helping India recover from a difficult situation. In 1993, he scored his third Test century against England in Madras. He also had a great ODI series against England, scoring 287 runs and earning "man of the series."

His first ODI century was against Pakistan in 1989. His highest ODI score was 134 not out against England in 1993. Sidhu was the first Indian batsman to score more than five centuries in One Day Internationals.

Navjot Singh Sidhu on the sets of Sony Max.

Double Century and Retirement

In 1997, Sidhu scored his only Test double century during India's tour of the West Indies. He scored 201 runs, which was one of the slowest double centuries in Test history. He built strong partnerships with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in that match.

Sidhu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in December 1999. He played 51 Test matches and over 100 ODIs, scoring more than 7,000 international runs. He was known for attacking spin bowlers and hitting many sixes.

Career Best Performances

Commentary and Television Career

Sidhu started his career as a cricket commentator in 2001. He became famous for his unique one-liners, which were called "Sidhuisms." A website was even created to share his best quotes.

Sidhu (center) on Extraaa Innings T20 during IPL 2012 with Isa Guha (right) and guest Sanjay Dutt (left)

He worked for various sports channels, including ESPN-Star and Ten Sports. He also appeared as an expert on Indian news channels. In 2014, he was part of the commentary team for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Beyond cricket, Sidhu was a judge on comedy shows like The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. He also appeared in other TV programs and even acted in a TV series called Kareena Kareena. In 2012, he was a contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss 6.

From 2013 to 2016, Sidhu was a regular guest on the comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil. He continued this role on The Kapil Sharma Show until 2019. In early 2019, he faced some controversy and was replaced on The Kapil Sharma Show.

Cyrus Sahukar hosted a program on MTV called Piddhu the Great, where he played a character similar to Sidhu, using "Pidhuisms." Sunil Grover also did a similar impression on The Kapil Sharma Show.

Sidhu (left) on Extraaa Innings T20, 2012

Sidhu made a small appearance in the 2004 Hindi film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi as a commentator. In the 2008 Punjabi film Mera Pind, he played a main role as an Indian living abroad who returns home. His most recent film appearance was a cameo in ABCD 2 in 2015. Sidhu returned to cricket commentary for the 2024 season of the IPL.

Political Career

Bharatiya Janata Party

Navjot Singh Sidhu won the Amritsar seat for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2004 Indian general elections. He resigned briefly due to a court case but successfully re-contested the seat. He won again in the 2009 general elections.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament

On April 28, 2016, Navjot Singh Sidhu became a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India's Parliament. He resigned from this position on July 18, 2016.

Aawaaz-e-Punjab

On September 2, 2016, Sidhu, along with other politicians, formed a new political group called Aawaaz-e-Punjab. They aimed to work for the betterment of Punjab.

Indian National Congress

In January 2017, Sidhu joined the Indian National Congress party. He won the election from Amritsar East in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections. He then became a minister in the state cabinet.

As the Minister of Tourism and Local Bodies, Sidhu supported Project Virasat. This project aimed to help the traditional craft of making brass utensils by the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, which is recognized by UNESCO.

In 2018, Sidhu visited Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was criticized by some for hugging the Pakistani army chief. In June 2019, he was removed from his ministerial roles by the Chief Minister.

On July 14, 2019, Sidhu announced his resignation from the Punjab Cabinet. He later openly criticized the Punjab Government on certain issues. On July 18, 2021, Sidhu was appointed President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. He resigned from this role on September 28, 2021, but his resignation was not accepted by the party leadership. In the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Sidhu lost his seat in Amritsar East.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Corridor

In August 2018, Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sidhu stated that the Pakistani army chief had assured him about opening the Kartarpur corridor. This corridor would allow Sikh followers from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan without needing a visa.

The Government of Pakistan later confirmed they would open the corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Sidhu praised Imran Khan for this important step.

Electoral Performance

Lok Sabha Elections

Punjab Legislative Assembly Elections