I am More a Happily Married Man Now, No Regrets on Retirement - Zaheer Khan

Who would have missed that iconic Chak De India film where Shah Rukh Khan was the protagonist? It was a classic flick probably none of the Indian sports lovers wouldn’t have missed. Meanwhile, Zaheer Khan recollects the movie while expressing about his wife, Sagarika Ghatge.

Everyone was awestruck by Shah Rukh Khan’s 70-minute speech in the movie, but Zaheer Khan is probably carrying the emotion with him by marrying a lady who played a lead role in it.

Sagarika Ghatge would have sacrificed more if married earlier – Zaheer Khan

Much of the same to many cricketers, Zaheer Khan too married in his late 30’s. Speaking of the same, the southpaw quoted he would have made Sagarika make more sacrifices if he got married while playing.

Zaheer Khan explained by adding that a fast bowler requires a lot of fitness which puts him to stay on the ground more than the rest. He feels there would be times when it would be unbearable to pass the time on the pitch.

“Of course, Shah Rukh was the best [in the film] and everyone remembers his 70-minute speech. But at that time, I obviously didn’t know that I would end up marrying Preeti Sabharwal (actor Sagarika Ghatge) from that movie (laughs). Maybe now, if I watch it, I will pay more attention to what my wife was doing in it,” Zaheer Khan said.

“She would have kind of sacrificed quite a lot [if she had been in my life at that point], and I am talking about time. Back then, I wouldn’t have had enough time, because fast bowling is not an easy job. To stay fit and be at the top level – as a fast bowler – in a fine-tuned manner has its share of challenges, and that’s not easy to deal with at times,” he says.

No question of regrets: Zaheer Khan

Despite leaving the game, the flamboyant Zaheer Khan looks very fit in his avatar. Speaking of the same, the legendary Indian added it feels nice if someone recognises his fitness, but that he is happy with his married life and has no regrets about leaving the game.

“It’s great to hear when people say, ‘Oh, you still had a couple of years left in you’. As a cricketer, I probably wanted to hear that. Also, I guess taking a decision to retire is an individual thing. There is no fixed formula to follow about going away from the game. But there is no question of [having any] regret,” he says.

However, Zaheer Khan had an eventful cricketing career and later married to the love of his life. On the work front, he might be back in the IPL as a mentor or the coach for any of the franchises in times to come.