Kirti Azad is a former Indian cricketer and politician who played 7 Tests and 25 ODIs from 1980 to 1986 for the Indian cricket team. He is the son of former Bihar Chief Minister INC veteran Bhagwat Jaa Azad. Azad is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
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Wiki/Biography
Kirti Azad was born on Friday, January 2, 1959 (age 61; as in 2020), in Darbhanga, Bihar. His full name is Kirtivardhan Bhagwat Jha Azad. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. Azad completed his primary education from Modern School in Delhi and simultaneously played in the school’s cricket team. He obtained his BA (Hons) in History from the renowned St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University in 1981. The all-rounder played 7 Test matches and 25 ODIs for India between 1980 and 1986. He was also part of the Indian cricket team that won the 1983 ODIric World Cup. While still playing Ranji Trophy matches, at the age of 34, Azad retired from politics and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1993. In 2015, the BJP suspended him for engaging in anti-party activities. Later, he joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in February 2019.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 11″
Hair color: salt and pepper
Eye Color: Black
family and caste
Kirti Azadi belongs to a Hindu family.
parents and siblings
His father, Shri Bhagwat Jha Azad was a six-time Lok Sabha member from Bhagalpur and former CM of Bihar. Bhagwat died in 2011 after a prolonged illness.
Bhagwat Jha Azad
His mother, Smt. Indira Jha Azad died in 2009. His brother Dr. Rajwardan Azad is a former Principal Professor of Ophthalmology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), New Delhi, as Chairman of the Revival Service Commission of Bihar State University.
Former AIIMS eye specialist Dr. Rajwardan Jha Azad
wife and children
Kirti is married to Poonam Azad, a former AAP politician and currently a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
A picture of Kirti Azad with wife Poonam Azad at their younger son’s wedding ceremony
His wife contested and lost the election from Delhi’s Sangam Vihar constituency in the 2020 assembly elections.
Kirti Azad with his wife Poonam Azad during the election campaign
Her younger son, Somya Vardhan, is a businessman, while her elder son, Surya Vardhan, works in an MNC in Singapore. Both his sons played cricket in their youth in Delhi.
Cricket career
All-rounder Kirti Azad was an aggressive right-arm and spinner.
An old picture of Kirti Azad
He received his first national call-up for the 1980/81 India tour to Australia and New Zealand. In December 1980, he made his ODI debut against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1980/81. Unfortunately, he could only score 4 runs in this game. In the same year, he made his Test cricket debut against New Zealand in Wellington. He scored 20 runs and 16 runs in two innings as India lost the game by 62 runs. He played the first three Tests of the 6-match series during England’s tour of India in 1981/82. However, he scored a total of 71 runs in 4 innings and was dropped from the Indian team. He was then selected to play in the historic 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Kirti Azad poses with the 1983 Cricket World Cup trophy
His international career spanned 7 Test matches and 25 ODIs. Despite not tasting success at the international level, Kirti Azad remained a pillar of strength for Delhi cricket. In 95 Ranji games, he scored 4867 runs at an average of 47.72. He also took 162 wickets at an average of 28.91 with his bowling.
Political career
Kirti Azad retired from politics in 1993 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He served as MLA from Delhi’s Gol Bazar constituency from 1993-98. He was then elected Member of Parliament on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket from Darbhanga, Bihar in 1999. He was re-elected MP for Darbhanga in 2009. From 2009 to 2014, he also served as a member of the House, a member of the Family Resource Development Committee, and a standing member of the Health Care Committee. nel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Member, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Security, Khadi and Village Industries Corporation and Member, Youth Affairs and Sports, Advisory Committee Member. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he again won the MP seat from Darbhanga, Bihar.
Kirti Azad with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
On 23 December 2015, he was expelled from the BJP for anti-party activities. On 18 February 2019, Azad joined the Indian National Congress (INC).
Indian National Congress (INC) President Rahul Gandhi welcomes Kirti Azad to his party
He contested the 2019 general election from the Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency representing the Indian National Congress against BJP candidate Pashupati Nath Singh. However, he lost by a wide margin of 4.8 million votes.
confrontations
It is highly impossible for a politician to avoid controversy in India. Here are some controversies involving Kirti Azad:
- From 2011 to 2015, he alleged rampant financial corruption in the functioning of the Delhi Cricket Association (DDCA). He accused his own BJP member Arun Jaitley, who headed the DDCA for 14 years, of being actively involved in the scam. He also raised the same issue in the Lok Sabha when he was a member of the BJP.
In December 2015, he was suspended by the BJP for anti-party activities. After the suspension, the former cricketer said, “I raised the issue of the Rs 400 crore scam with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) with documents to support his claims, but the party ‘stabbed me in the back’.”
In December 2015, he was suspended by the BJP for anti-party activities. After the suspension, the former cricketer said, “I raised the issue of the Rs 400 crore scam with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) with documents to support his claims, but the party ‘stabbed me in the back’.”- In February 2019, just three days after joining the INC, Azad alleged that Congress members had looted polling stations for him and his father during elections in the 80s and 90s. Later, when he realized his mistake, he apologized and said:
IM sorry. In the heat and in an over-excited mood, I made such remarks as would boost the morale of the Congress workers. Actually, I wanted to say booth management, but somehow I got carried away.”
Criminal cases
Kirti Azad has four pending criminal cases with twelve charges against him.
Net worth
Kirti Azad’s net worth as declared in Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is Rs 8,40,26,755.
Facts/Trivia
- Most likely, many cricket experts believe that Azad made it to the Indian cricket team because his father, Bhagwat Jaaz, was then the Union Minister and CM of Bihar.
- The 1983 Cricket World Cup holds a special place in Kirti’s heart.
- Kirti Azad starred in the Hindi film ‘Kirket’ which was released in 2019.
- In an interview to Lalantop, Azad explained how his father, a veteran Congressman, asked him to leave home for three months when he joined the BJP and became an MLA.
Categories: Sports
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
