Cricketer Praveen Kumar joins SP, likely to be fielded from Meerut

LUCKNOW: Cricketer Praveen Kumar joined Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducting him into the fold.

LUCKNOW: Cricketer Praveen Kumar joined Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducting him into the fold.

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

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

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

“I have met the chief minister and decided to join the party. I will do whatever is possible for the party,” he told reporters after meeting the chief minister, who is also the state president of SP.

Asked whether he would contest the state assembly polls, Kumar said, “I am a kid in this field. As of now I will try to learn it (politics).”

The 29-year-old comes from a family of traditional wrestlers and is one of few active cricketers to venture into the political arena. A few years ago, batsman Mohammad Kaif had joined the Congress and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Phulpur seat of Allahabad.