‘The doctor asked my father if he wanted me…’: Sreesanth reveals why he shouldn’t have been alive

Former India fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has revealed deeply personal details about the circumstances surrounding his birth and survival, sharing that his life began with a battle so severe that even the doctors questioned whether he was worth saving.

In a candid conversation with Ranjini Haridas, the former cricketer revisited the painful story that his family had kept private for decades.

The doctor asked my father if he wanted me

Sreesanth, the youngest of four children, said he underwent a major surgery as an infant. He also said that his father had to sell the family home to afford it.

“When I was born, I had a big surgery,” he recalled. “So as a child when I did mischief, my grandmother used to tell, ‘it is only because of your parents’ prayers that you are here’.”

He said his grandmother would narrate the story every time, reminding him how close he came to not surviving.

“I had a major surgery when I was six months old. My father sold the house and the property to get money for the surgery. Not many know about this. So the doctor asked my father ‘do you want him, do you want to spend this big an amount, you already have 3 children?’”

According to Sreesanth, his father refused to let him go. “But my father was adamant on keeping me. That’s how my life started.”

He added that his father had even made a vow at a temple to save his life: “To keep me alive, my father promised the temple deity that he would make me serve there as a slave.”

After the surgery, he said, the vow was fulfilled. “When I recovered, when I was about seven months old, he took me to the temple, offered me to the deity, and left me there with the priest before returning home.”

The former cricketer recalled how his grandmother later discovered he was missing and brought him back after confronting his father.

“So whenever difficulties arise in life, I think to myself, ‘I should have been dead a long time ago.’ God has been extremely kind every single day,” he said.

A career of brilliance, turmoil and unforgettable moments

Born on 6 February 1983 in Kothamangalam, Kerala, Sreesanth rose from a fragile infancy to become one of India’s most fiery fast bowlers. His outswingers earned admiration, and he played key roles in India’s victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup – accomplishments that cemented his place in cricket history.

But his career was equally marked by controversies. The 2008 IPL season produced one of the league’s most dramatic moments when Harbhajan Singh slapped him during the post-match handshake in Mohali. The clip of Sreesanth crying in the arms of teammate Mahela Jayawardene went viral, turning “Slapgate” into one of cricket’s most replayed incidents.

Years later, former IPL chairman Lalit Modi resurfaced the raw footage on a podcast with Michael Clarke, reigniting public interest in the scandal. Both players, however, have since reconciled and appear together frequently at cricket events.

Marriage and life beyond cricket

Sreesanth, who retired from international cricket in 2021, has had a personal life as eventful as his cricketing journey. In 2013, he married Bhuvneshwari Kumari – known as Nain – a member of Rajasthan’s Shekhawat royal family and a jewellery designer who has built her own creative identity beyond her aristocratic lineage.

Their wedding came at a turbulent time. The former bowler was facing a career-shattering ban following the IPL spot-fixing case. He also considered calling off the marriage, convinced it was unfair to involve her in his troubles. But the Shekhawat family stood firmly by him, dismissing the controversy.

The couple wed on 12 December 2013, first in Kerala and then in a grand ceremony in Rajasthan. They are now parents to two children – daughter Sree Sanvika, born in 2015, and son Suryasree, born in 2016.