From 'Monkeygate scandal' to 'Patiala House,' a look at Andrew Symonds' Indian connection

Cricket fans on Sunday woke up to the unfortunate news of veteran Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds passing away in a road accident at the age of 46. Symonds was one of the most popular cricket stars in global cricket during his stint as a player and enjoyed a massive fandom across the world, India included. In his career spanning 11 years, Symonds time and again got entangled in web of controversies, however, little did any of them hampered the adulation he received from cricket enthusiasts.

A look at Andrew Symonds' popularity in India

During India’s tour of Australia in 2007-08, Symonds became the epicentre of the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal which also involved Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. In the midst of a crucial game, Symonds alleged that Harbhajan Singh called him 'monkey,' which paved way for an ugly spat that even pushed the game to the verge of being called off. Despite the ugly feud, Symonds went on to play three seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and received much attention and love from cricket fans in India. Starting with the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008, Symonds played three seasons for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers franchise. He won the IPL trophy in 2009 with the Hyderabad-based former franchise, before moving to Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2011. He played a total of 39 IPL matches while scoring 974 runs and also took 20 wickets.

Andrew Symonds made his Bollywood debut in 2011

Symonds also made his debut in the Indian film industry in 2011, when he played a brief role in the sports drama called Patiala House which featured, Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in the lead roles. The cricketer played the role of himself in the movie, which marked his foray into Bollywood. A year later, Symonds made a return to the Indian screens, however, this time for a reality show. 

Andrew Symonds' stint in Indian Television

Symonds was a contestant in the popular Indian reality show, Bigg Boss. Coming in as a wild card entry, Symonds spent a few weeks inside the house for the fifth season of the show, which aired in 2012. He was seen making rotis inside the house and also became close friends with actress Sunny Leone during his time in the show. Later in 2014, Symonds appeared in the TV screens for another time, by performing alongside Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu at the Champions Cricket League Glam Night. 

(Image: icc-cricket.com)