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An elderly woman rescued from Belapur Metro Station claims to be the widow of legendary cricketer Salim Durani.
Netizens have raised questions over the claim, as Salim Durani had no known record of a spouse.
Durani’s family has not yet responded, leaving the viral video and the woman’s identity unverified.
An elderly woman was recently rescued from Belapur Metro Station in Mumbai, Maharashtra. What initially appeared to be a routine rescue operation took an unexpected turn when the indigent woman revealed her identity.
According to a Free Press Journal report, the woman has been identified as Rekha Srivastava. The situation shocked everyone when she claimed that she is the widow of legendary Indian cricketer Salim Durani.
In the now-viral video, Srivastava explained how her life turned upside down—from once meeting maharajas and influential figures to now being homeless.
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When she was brought to the police station, she asserted that she had lived most of her life in Mumbai. Rekha also claimed that she once ran an airline company in Dubai, but her story took a stark turn due to an alleged financial crisis.
The mystery woman’s true identity has confused many netizens, as late cricketer Salim Durani had no known record of a spouse during his lifetime. As of now, Durani’s family has not responded to Rekha Srivastava’s claims, leaving the mystery unsolved.
Many users on the internet urged the respective family members to verify the information. Srivastava recalled that her husband was an Indian cricketer. “He was a very big man,” she said.
She further added that her husband played cricket across the country and had passed away in 2023. One user on X tagged India Today journalist Brijesh Joshi, urging him to contact Durani’s family residing in Jamnagar, Gujarat, to help verify the authenticity of the viral video.
Salim Durani was the first and only Afghanistan-born Indian cricketer, born in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, in 1934. He played Test cricket for India and was often regarded as one of the country’s legendary all-rounders. Durani was a left-arm bowler and a left-handed batsman. His cricket career spanned more than a decade, from 1960 to 1973. His final Test match for India was in February 1973 against England.
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He played a significant role in India’s first-ever Test victory against the West Indies at Port of Spain, Trinidad. During the match, he claimed the wickets of Barbadian cricketer Garry Sobers and former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd.
Among the many achievements to his name, one of Durani’s biggest milestones was receiving the Arjuna Award. He was the first cricketer to be honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1961.
His personal life remained somewhat of a mystery, with no known information about a wife or children. However, a recent viral video of a woman named Rekha Srivastava has given rise to speculation over whether the former all-rounder had a secret family unknown to the world.
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