7 Indian Cricketers Who Are Also Top Level Government Officials

MS Dhoni is known for his helicopter shot and Yuvraj for his mind boggling sixer. But do you know that our cricket players also have a lucrative top level government job as well? Some of the cricket players have joined army simultaneously while some have a police officer job by the side.

In this list, we have jotted down the Indian cricket players who serve as honourable government officials as well.

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni- Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army

MS Dhoni, apart from being a former Indian skipper, is also Lieutenant Colonel in Indian Territorial Army. He was appointed the role in 2011 for his outstanding contribution towards Indian sports. He joined the Territorial Army in 106 TA Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and had trained with the battalion for 15 days before being awarded with the honorary title. He was deployed in Kashmir as part of the Victor Force.

Apart from this, Dhoni is also the brand ambassador of Indian Army to motivate youngsters to join Army. Several pictures of MS Dhoni training in the fields also went viral on the social media. Without any doubt ‘Captain Cool’ really looked dapper in the Army uniform.

2. Sachin Tendulkar- IAF Honorary Group Captain

Sachin Tendulkar, the most prominent cricket player in the world, was honoured with the position of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force in 2010. He also serves as a brand ambassador of Indian Air Force with IAF chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik to motivate the young generation to join Indian Air Force. Before being awarded with the rank, Sachin Tendulkar underwent a process of familiarisation and some basic training with the IAF.

Sachin was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012. However, his position as a Rajya Sabha member is heavily debated for his non-attendance to parliament sessions. He was also the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated in RajyaSabha. He was also the first person to be awarded with a high position of Group Captain without a previous aviation background.

3. Harbhajan Singh- Deputy Superintendent of Police, Punjab

One of the most prominent spinners in the world, Harbhajan Singh had been honoured with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Government of Punjab. The ace baller looks impressive in his police uniform in some of his pictures that went viral on social media at that time.

4. Kapil Dev- Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Territorial Army

Kapil Dev is the most sought after and revered cricketer in India. He was the first Indian captain who led his team to bring the first ever World Cup to India. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary position of Lieutenant Colonel in Indian Army.

Apart from this, he was also appointed as first chancellor of the Sport University of Haryana in 2019.

5. Umesh Yadav- Reserve Bank of India as assistant manager, Nagpur

The fast pace bowler of Indian cricket team, Umesh Yadav was offered an honorary title of Assistant Manager in Reserve Bank of India in its Nagpur office. He joined the coveted organization in 2017. He was appointed as a government official under the sports quota.

However due to his responsibilities towards Indian cricket team, he couldn’t complete the joining formalities.

6. Joginder Singh Sharma- Deputy Superintendent of Police, Haryana

Joginder Singh Sharma who was a part of the 2007 World Twenty20 cup team was awarded the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police by Haryana Government for his contribution to the Indian victory. As of 2020, he is located in Pehowa in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana.

7. Yuzvendra Chahal- Inspector, Income tax department

In the last few years, Chahal has become a key member of the Indian limited overs squad and his partnership with Kuldeep Yadav has been a game changer for India in the middle overs.

With Chahal gaining popularity in international cricket, the Income Tax Department has rightly roped him in by offering the job of an Income tax officer.