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Navjot Singh Sidhu Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 12, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth20 October 1963

Age61 Years

BirthplacePatiala, Punjab, India

ProfessionCricketer, Politician and Commentator

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseNavjot Kaur Sidhu

FamilyFather - Late Sardar Bhagwant Singh; Mother - Late Nirmal Sidhu; Sisters - Suman Toor, Late Neelam Mahajan; Children - Daughter Rabia Sidhu, Son Karan Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu Biography

Navjot Singh Sidhu is a former international cricketer turned politician and television personality from Punjab. Known for his aggressive batting in the 0s

Early life and background
Navjot Singh Sidhu was born on 20 October 1963 in Patiala, Punjab. He grew up in a Jat Sikh family; his father, Bhagwant Singh, was also involved in cricket. Sidhu attended Yadavindra Public School in Patiala and went on to study at Mohindra College and Panjab University, Chandigarh, graduating before embarking on a cricketing career.

Cricket career
Sidhu made his Test debut for India on 12 November 1983 against the West Indies and played his first One Day International on 9 October 1987 versus Australia. Representing Punjab at the domestic level, he became known for an aggressive style of batting — often attempting boundary-clearing shots — and for big innings in both Tests and ODIs.

Across his international career Sidhu set several notable marks. He recorded the first instance for an Indian of scoring five centuries in ODIs and twice produced marathon performances, including an 11-hour effort against the West Indies in 1996–97 which yielded 201 runs. His highest ODI score of 134 came against England at Gwalior in 1993. He also reached the milestone of 500 Test runs in a calendar year on three occasions: 1993, 1994 and 1997. Selection to the 1987 Cricket World Cup is cited as an important turning point in his playing days.

Transition to politics and public life
After retiring from cricket in December 1999, Sidhu entered politics. He won the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in 2004 on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket and retained it in 2009. He did not contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Sidhu became a Rajya Sabha member in April 2016 but resigned in July 2016. Later that year he helped form a regional political front, Aawaaz-e-Punjab, alongside other Punjab leaders.

In January 2017 Sidhu joined the Indian National Congress. That year he won the Amritsar East seat in the Punjab Assembly and was appointed Minister of Local Bodies. In a subsequent cabinet reshuffle he was given charge of the Ministry of Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources. He submitted his resignation from the Punjab cabinet in June 2019 and publicly shared it in July 2019.

Sidhu has held senior party roles: in July 2021 he was named president of the Punjab Congress Committee by the national leadership. He tendered his resignation from that post in September 2021, but the party high command declined to accept it; he later withdrew the resignation in November 2021. In the 2022 Punjab assembly election he lost the Amritsar East seat to an Aam Aadmi Party candidate by a margin of over 6,000 votes.

Media, commentary and appearances
Alongside politics, Sidhu has been visible as a cricket commentator and television personality. He has appeared in films and on reality shows, including a stint on Bigg Boss 6, and has worked as a commentator in the Indian Premier League. Reports have indicated that, at times, his commentary work earned him higher day rates than he received as a cricketer.

Public profile and controversies
Sidhu’s public life has included several controversies that received wide media attention. A high-profile road-rage incident from 1988 resulted in a long legal process; in 2006 he was convicted, and the case reached the Supreme Court, which later suspended his sentence at one stage. In May 2022 the Supreme Court sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment related to that 1988 incident, and he subsequently spent time in Patiala Central Jail, from which he was released in April 2023 after nearly ten months.

Other controversies mentioned in public reporting include disputes over commentary contracts, criticism for remarks and gestures that offended sections of the public, and disagreements with political opponents. He and his wife have also been in the public eye for medical claims they discussed at a 2024 press conference, which attracted scrutiny from medical professionals and public interest groups.

Personal life
Sidhu is married to Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who is a doctor and active in politics. The couple have two children, a daughter named Rabia and a son named Karan. Sidhu is a vegetarian, practices meditation, and lists internet surfing and learning among his hobbies. He is approximately 1.88 meters tall and has light brown eyes.

Latest updates
As of the latest reports in the excerpt, Sidhu remained active in political life after returning from jail and continued to be a prominent public figure in Punjab, with ongoing media attention around his statements and activities.
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Recent Work

Won Amritsar East (Punjab Assembly) and served as Minister of Local Bodies; later Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources

Elected in 2017, held ministerial roles in the Amarinder Singh government before resigning from the cabinet in 2019.

2017-2019
President of Punjab Congress Committee

Appointed by the Congress high command in July 2021; submitted and later withdrew resignation in late 2021.

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Test debut for India on 12 November 1983 vs West Indies
  2. ODI debut on 9 October 1987 vs Australia
  3. First Indian to score five ODI centuries
  4. Made 201 in an 11-hour innings against West Indies (1996–97)
  5. Elected to Lok Sabha from Amritsar (2004 and 2009)
  6. Elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Amritsar East (2017) and served as a state minister
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Navjot Singh Sidhu born?

20 October 1963

What is Navjot Singh Sidhu known for?

Cricketer, Politician and Commentator

What is Navjot Singh Sidhu’s marital status?

Married

Who is Navjot Singh Sidhu married to?

Navjot Kaur Sidhu