Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav hosted his wedding reception in Lucknow after marrying Vanshika Singh earlier this month. The lavish celebration at The Centrum hotel attracted the likes of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Samajwadi Party’s chief Akhilesh Yadav, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla and a slew of cricket stars. The move soon became a headline, not just for its glamour but for a warm gesture by Akhilesh Yadav that has gone viral on social media.
Kuldeep Yadav, a spin bowling sensation on India's cricket team, showed respect for political leaders and cricketers, according to the reports. Reportedly, he also touched CM Yogi Adityanath’s feet to seek blessings. When he approached Akhilesh Yadav, social media accounts suggest that Akhilesh prevented him from touching his feet, held his hands and hugged him instead. The posts also state that Akhilesh had not allowed Kuldeep’s wife to touch his feet and had positively greeted his wife.
Touching the feet of elder or honorable figures, in Indian custom, is a gesture of respect. But Akhilesh Yadav’s act of halting the pair and hugging instead had been interpreted as a gesture of humility and equality. And then he received applause from many online users for respecting the young couple and rejecting hierarchical customs.
To some extent, it was a celebration of cricketing giants in attendance – Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant. The show had both political and sporting figures around it, and it was a mix of power and festivity. A festive vibe was evident in the photographs taken in the evening with Kuldeep and Vanshika warming up to the residents.
While Akhilesh Yadav had attended and received greetings (at least, according to mainstream media reports), the details of his stopping the couple from touching his feet were largely spread by social media posts. The story, although not documented, has touched the hearts of many people, who consider it a symbol of respect and dignity.
Kuldeep Yadav’s wedding reception was more than a star‑studded occasion, with humility and warmth as hallmarks of public life. Akhilesh Yadav’s act (whether or not it was reported in a newspaper page or on social media) has garnered him positive attention because it respected the young couple and valued equality more than tradition. Lucknow’s cricket-politics-culture amalgam of the two is still a memorable experience.
