Cricket rivalries between India and Pakistan are legendary, but off the field, love has frequently crossed the border. Over the decades, several prominent Pakistani cricketers have found their life partners in India.
Shoaib Malik & Sania Mirza
Perhaps the most high-profile cross-border sports union in history, former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik married Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza in April 2010. Their wedding took place in Sania’s hometown of Hyderabad, India, followed by traditional Pakistani customs. The high-profile marriage of two of South Asia’s biggest sporting stars was a major media sensation.
The couple welcomed a son, Izhaan, in 2018. However, after over a decade together, they officially divorced in early 2024.
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Hasan Ali & Samiya Arzoo
Pakistan’s fast-bowling sensation Hasan Ali tied the knot with Samiya Arzoo in August 2019 at a glittering ceremony in Dubai. Samiya is an Indian flight engineer hailing from Faridabad district in Haryana, India. The two met in Dubai through mutual friends, dated for nearly two years, and eventually decided to marry. They are now proud parents to a daughter.
Zaheer Abbas & Rita Luthra (Samina Abbas)
Known famously as the “Bradman of Asia” for his prolific run-scoring, legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas married an Indian woman named Rita Luthra in 1988. The two met in the 1980s in the United Kingdom, where Rita was studying interior design and Zaheer was playing county cricket.
Following their marriage, Rita converted to Islam and changed her name to Samina Abbas. The couple currently resides in Karachi, where she runs a successful interior design firm.
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Mohsin Khan & Reena Roy
In the 1980s, stylish Pakistani opening batsman Mohsin Khan fell in love with Bollywood superstar Reena Roy, who was at the absolute peak of her acting career. The couple got married in 1983, a decision that shocked both the cricket and film fraternities given the geopolitical tensions of the era.
Mohsin briefly quit cricket to pursue an acting career in Bollywood, featuring in a few Hindi movies. The marriage faced severe adjustment challenges and unfortunately ended in a divorce in 1990. They share a daughter named Sanam.
