Cricketer Praveen Kumar joins SP, may contest a Meerut seat in 2017 UP polls

Cricketer Praveen Kumar joined the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducted him into the party.

Cricketer Praveen Kumar joined the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducted him into the party.

A right-arm medium pace bowler, Praveen currently plays for the IPL team Gujarat Lions. (BCCI)

Praveen may be fielded from a Meerut assembly seat in the 2017 polls as he hails from the city.

A right-arm medium pace bowler, Praveen currently plays for the IPL team Gujarat Lions. He has been a part of the Indian cricket team and IPL teams including Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, the cricketer confirmed that he had joined SP but did not say anything on the possibility of contesting the assembly polls next year.

The 29-year-old comes from a family of traditional wrestlers. He will continue to play IPL the way cricketer Md Kaif did. Kaif is a member of Congress and had contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Phulpur seat of Allahabad.