RCB Star Pacer Becomes Sports Minister Amid IPL 2026

Former Indian and IPL fast bowler Ashoke Dinda has been given the role of Bengal Sports Minister in the newly formed government. The state assembly elections were conducted in April, with the results announced on May 4. Dinda secured victory from the Moyna seat while representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP is set to establish the government after winning 206 of the 294 constituencies across the state.

Several other well-known figures were also said to be in contention for key roles, including former Indian hockey goalkeeper Bharath Chettri, who emerged victorious from Kalimpong, as well as Tapas Roy and Rakesh Tiwary.

Former Cricketer Ashoke Dinda Appointed Bengal Sports Minister

Ashoke Dinda had earlier claimed victory from the Moyna seat in the 2021 assembly elections as well, but his party fell short of the numbers required to take power at that time. With Ashoke Dinda sports minister appointment, West Bengal continues the trend of having a cricketer in charge of the sports portfolio for the second consecutive government, following Manoj Tiwary, who used to feature in the richest cricket league in the world, the IPL.

In contrast to Dinda, Tiwary balanced his ministerial duties with an active playing career and even led Bengal in the Ranji Trophy during his tenure. According to RevSportz Global, Dinda edged out several strong contenders to secure the role, with Sourav Sikdar, the MLA from North Dum Dum and linked with the Southern Samity football setup, emerging as one of his closest rivals.

Ashoke Dinda's Cricket Career Before Joining Politics

Ashoke Dinda made an impression in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008, with his sharp pace and long run-up. He had already entered the domestic circuit in 2005, but despite his performances, he never featured in Test cricket for India. Over his international career from 2009 to 2013, he appeared in 13 One Day Internationals, claiming 12 wickets, while in the shorter T20I format, he was far more effective, picking up 17 wickets at an impressive average of 14.41.

In the IPL, Dinda has represented multiple franchises across nearly a decade. He began with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he played from 2008 to 2010, followed by a brief stint with Delhi Capitals in 2011. He moved to Pune Warriors India and remained there until the team ceased operations in 2013.

Later, he spent two seasons with one of the best teams in IPL, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, before finishing his IPL journey with Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017. Across 78 matches in the league, he collected 69 wickets at an average of 30.