Facts to know about Navjot Singh Sidhu

BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu quit as a Member of Parliament from Upper house on Monday. He is likely to join Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and could be party’s Chief Ministerial candidate from Punjab in the upcoming elections.

Born on October 20, 1963, Patiala, Punjab, he is former Indian cricketer, commentator, reality TV star and now a politician.

He started his Test career in 1983-84, but it was only in 1987 World Cup, where he began with four fifties in a row. He has a career spanning 51 Tests and 136 one-day internationals. He was right handed batsman and was not afraid to play the ball over the top. He displayed this skill against Shane Warne in Australia’s 1997-98 tour of India. His best innings in Tests was his 201 against West Indies in 1996-97.

In his second career as a commentator, he developed a unique style of commenting using metaphors with warmth and zest. He actively engaged in IPL as a commentator and cricket expert. He used to be most vocal and energetic on reality shows like India’s laughter challenge and Comedy Nights with Kapil.

His political career began with general elections in 2004 from Amritsar where he won on Bhartiya Janta Party ticket. In 2009, he managed to hold on to his constituency defeating Om Prakash Soni of INC. Sidhu’s relations with the BJP  strained during Lok Sabha elections in 2014 when BJP decided to field Arun Jaitley from Amritsar, instead of him. However he was nominated to the Upper House from Punjab. This was the move to keep him away from joining Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).