Mary Kom Enters ‘Bigg Boss 20’: Indian Sports Stars Who Tried Reality TV

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Sep 08, 2026 15:03 IST ⓘ

Indian sports stars who previously tried reality TV.

Indian boxer Mary Kom has spent a career making opponents reconsider their plans. Now, the contestants sharing the ‘Bigg Boss’ house with her may have to do the same. The six-time world champion boxer and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist entered ‘Bigg Boss 20’ when the Salman Khan-hosted season premiered on September 6, 2026. The show streams first on JioHotstar at 9 pm and airs on Colors TV at 10.30 pm.

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Even her introduction came with a playful warning. Actress Priyanka Chopra, who portrayed the boxer in the 2014 biopic ‘Mary Kom’, told the housemates that the champion was a go-getter, a great player and someone whose knockout could prove costly. Mary has also said that she intends to bring her discipline into the house – an admirable plan, although ‘Bigg Boss’ has spent 20 seasons proving that discipline rarely survives prolonged exposure to ration disputes.

Mary’s entry is also the latest reminder that Indian reality television has long treated the sporting world as its most unpredictable talent pool. Athletes arrive with competitive instincts, years of training and an enviable tolerance for pressure. However, public voting, dance choreography and kitchen politics are games for which no national camp can quite prepare them.

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Some lifted trophies, some came painfully close, and others discovered that reality television can deliver a knockout before the audience has even learnt the contestant’s coffee order. Amid Mary Kom’s ‘Bigg Boss 20’ entry, here are the Indian sporting stars who took the reality-TV plunge before her.

1. The Great Khali - ‘Bigg Boss 4’

Long before Mary Kom entered Salman Khan’s house, Dalip Singh Rana – better known as The Great Khali – made the furniture look unusually small on ‘Bigg Boss 4’. The season premiered on Colors TV on October 3, 2010, with Salman Khan taking over as host and beginning what would become his long association with the franchise.

Khali arrived as the first wildcard roughly two weeks later, but the delayed entry did not prevent the WWE star from becoming one of the season’s defining faces. His intimidating physical presence contrasted delightfully with his generally unhurried manner, and he survived every nomination placed before him. Khali reached the January 8, 2011 finale and finished runner-up to Shweta Tiwari.

2. S Sreesanth - ‘Bigg Boss 12’

If Khali brought stillness, S Sreesanth supplied enough emotion for an entire batting order. ‘Bigg Boss 12’ premiered on Colors TV on September 16, 2018, with Salman Khan as host, and the former Indian fast bowler quickly became its most volatile human highlight reel.

He argued, cried, threatened to leave, reconsidered and forged an intense sibling-like bond with Dipika Kakar. Beneath the eruptions, however, viewers also saw the vulnerability of a cricketer whose career had been engulfed by controversy. Sreesanth reached the December 30 finale and finished runner-up to Dipika, making his stint messy, moving and impossible to ignore.

3. Bhaichung Bhutia - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3’

Bhaichung Bhutia did not merely try dancing; he won the league. The third season of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on February 27, 2009. Shweta Tiwari initially co-hosted it with Shiv Panditt, who was subsequently replaced by Rohit Roy, while the former Indian football captain was paired with choreographer Sonia Jaffer.

Initially treated as the sporting novice in a celebrity field, Bhaichung improved steadily and converted football fans’ loyalty into votes. On May 31, he defeated Gauahar Khan and Karan Singh Grover to win the trophy and Rs 40 lakh. His participation did create a professional controversy – Mohun Bagan objected to his absences.

4. Harbhajan Singh - ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena’

Harbhajan Singh took the title of ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena’ rather literally: he was the khiladi, Mona Singh was the haseena, and together they took home the trophy. The cricketer-meets-celebrity dance contest premiered on Colors TV on September 26, 2008, with Sandhya Mridul hosting and Sushmita Sen and Wasim Akram judging six pairs.

Harbhajan’s dancing was never going to make anyone forget his off-spin, but his energy and chemistry with Mona carried the pair past teams featuring Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and Vinod Kambli. They won the October 25 finale, handing Bhajji the rare distinction of owning trophies from both cricket grounds and dance floors. He later returned to non-fiction television as a gang leader on MTV ‘Roadies Rising’ in 2017, proving the reality-TV bug had not been completely bowled out.

5. Sangram Singh - ‘Bigg Boss 7’ And ‘Survivor India’

Wrestler Sangram Singh had already tested his outdoor survival skills when ‘Survivor India’ premiered on Star Plus on January 6, 2012. Hosted by Sameer Kochhar and filmed on the Caramoan islands in the Philippines, the show placed its contestants in a far less comfortable environment than the average celebrity house.

Sangram subsequently traded beaches for bedroom politics on ‘Bigg Boss 7’, which launched on Colors TV on September 15, 2013, under Salman Khan’s watch. His stubbornly positive personality offered a counterweight to one of the franchise’s more combative seasons. Sangram and Kamya Punjabi also lasted 26 hours inside the punishing “Bigg Box” task. He eventually reached the final four and finished fourth.

6. Geeta Phogat - ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 8’

Geeta Phogat entered ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 8: Pain in Spain’ carrying the additional curiosity generated by ‘Dangal’, but the Commonwealth Games gold medallist quickly showed that she needed no film to establish her toughness. The Rohit Shetty-hosted season premiered on Colors TV on July 22, 2017, and sent its contestants through heights, water and the sort of creature-filled challenges that make wrestling mats look welcoming.

Geeta entered a crocodile pit, dealt with creepy crawlies and maintained her composure through multiple fear tests. Her run ended during the September 3-4 episode after she lost a water-and-ice pedalling elimination stunt to Monica Dogra. She did not win, but left with the show’s central question thoroughly answered: yes, even a champion wrestler is human around crocodiles.

7. Dutee Chand - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10’

Sprinter Dutee Chand changed lanes from track to television when she joined ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10’ as a wildcard. The Maniesh Paul-hosted season premiered on Colors TV and Voot on September 3, 2022. Dutee entered later that month with choreographer Raveena Choudhary.

Her short stay mattered for more than footwork. During a performance celebrating love, Dutee spoke openly about her then-partner Monalisa, bringing a rare moment of queer visibility to a mainstream family reality show. She withdrew on October 2 after only a few performances, but her willingness to learn choreography in days – and place her personal truth on national television – gave the stint a significance that the elimination chart could not measure.

8. Navjot Singh Sidhu - ‘Bigg Boss 6’

Navjot Singh Sidhu entered ‘Bigg Boss 6’ with the occupational hazard of turning every breakfast discussion into commentary. The Salman Khan-hosted season premiered on Colors TV on October 7, 2012, and the former Indian opener brought jokes, shayari and an insistence on finding sunshine even when the house was busy manufacturing thunderclouds.

His stay ended unusually. Sidhu left on November 10 after the BJP asked him to campaign for the Gujarat Assembly election, rather than through an eviction. It was a premature departure.

9. Irfan Pathan - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded’

Irfan Pathan’s swing once troubled top-order batters; remembering dance steps proved to be the trickier variation. ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded’, the programme’s eighth season, premiered on Colors TV on July 11, 2015, with Manish Paul hosting. Irfan entered as its first wildcard and was paired with choreographer Suchitra Sawant.

He approached rehearsals with a cricketer’s earnestness, openly admitting that retaining the steps was his biggest challenge. However, he withdrew in August after India’s domestic cricket calendar was brought forward. The stint was brief, although not entirely unexpected: Irfan had already danced with Ashima Bhalla on ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena’ in 2008.

10. Ajay Jadeja - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1’

Ajay Jadeja was part of the original experiment that asked whether sporting reflexes could be redirected into ballroom rhythm. The first ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on September 7, 2006, with Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi as hosts.

Paired with Rhea Krishnatraye, the former Indian batter survived several rounds before being eliminated. The sweetest part came after the verdict: Jadeja reportedly returned with gifts for the cast and crew and accepted the result without fuss, earning praise for his sportsmanship even as he left the competition.

11. Babita Phogat - ‘Nach Baliye 9’

Babita Phogat found a partner who understood both holds and footwork. ‘Nach Baliye 9’ premiered on Star Plus on July 19, 2019, with Maniesh Paul and Waluscha De Sousa hosting, and the wrestler competed alongside her then-fiancé and fellow wrestler Vivek Suhag.

The novelty was irresistible: two people trained to pin opponents were now expected to lift, twirl and smile through the judges’ comments. Vivek even proposed to Babita in Haryanvi on the show, giving their journey a romantic centre beyond the scorecards. Despite receiving praise from the judges, low audience votes eliminated them in August.

12. Sangeeta Phogat - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11’ And ‘Rise & Fall’

Sangeeta Phogat gave the family another dance-floor chapter on ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11’, which premiered on Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLIV on November 11, 2023, with Gauahar Khan and Rithvik Dhanjani hosting. Paired with Bharat Ghare, she began as the expected non-dancer and transformed into a serious competitor, even earning a perfect 30 for a performance to ‘Hawa Hawai’. Her improvement carried her into February 2024 before she was eliminated.

Sangeeta returned to reality competition on Ashneer Grover’s class-divide experiment ‘Rise & Fall’, which premiered on Amazon MX Player and Sony TV on September 6, 2025. However, she left shortly after learning about the death of her father-in-law.

13. Neeraj Goyat - ‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’

Professional boxer Neeraj Goyat entered ‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’ expecting a longer bout. The season premiered on JioCinema Premium on June 21, 2024, with Anil Kapoor replacing Salman Khan as host. Neeraj brought a fighter’s confidence and briefly played peacemaker, but he and Shivani Kumari soon landed in the season’s first eviction contest.

Viewers saved Shivani, and Neeraj was eliminated on June 26 – just five days after the premiere. He subsequently alleged that his eviction had been planned in advance.

14. Raj Rani - ‘Survivor India’

Raj Rani may not have arrived with the celebrity profile of many rivals, but the Haryana-based hockey player left with the biggest cheque. ‘Survivor India’ premiered on Star Plus on January 6, 2012, with Sameer Kochhar hosting 22 contestants through 45 days on the Caramoan islands in the Philippines.

Raj Rani negotiated hunger, physical tasks and constantly changing alliances before defeating JD Majethia and Stithpragya Mohan in the March 17 finale. Her prize was Rs 1 crore.

15. Sonika Kaliraman - ‘Bigg Boss 5’

National-level wrestler Sonika Kaliraman made reality-TV history under circumstances more delicate than any elimination challenge. ‘Bigg Boss 5’ premiered on Colors TV on October 2, 2011, with Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt as co-hosts. Sonika entered while six months pregnant, becoming the first expectant contestant in the Indian version of the franchise.

She voluntarily left after approximately a week, explaining that she wanted to protect her child from the controversies and pressure developing inside the house. Sonika had already tested herself on ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 2’, which premiered on Colors in September 2009 with Akshay Kumar hosting, but no stunt show could make remaining inside a turbulent celebrity house during pregnancy a reasonable endurance test.

16. Ritwik Bhattacharya - ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 3’

Squash champion Ritwik Bhattacharya was an athlete hiding in plain sight amid a Bollywood-heavy cast on ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3’. The Priyanka Chopra-hosted season premiered on Colors TV on September 6, 2010, after being filmed in Brazil.

Ritwik’s fitness and focus carried him through a succession of action-heavy stunts and into the final, where he faced television actor Shabbir Ahluwalia. Shabbir won after the last two challenges, leaving Ritwik as runner-up.

17. Vinod Kambli - ‘Bigg Boss 3’

Vinod Kambli entered ‘Bigg Boss 3’ as a wildcard and discovered that reading people could be more exhausting than reading bowlers. The season premiered on Colors TV on October 4, 2009, with Amitabh Bachchan as host.

Kambli arrived approximately a month into the competition, survived for fewer than two weeks and was then evicted. In a candid post-show interview, he joked that the house had taught him the art of gossip – a very different skill from the stroke play that once made him an international cricket sensation. Kambli was not entirely new to unscripted television: a year earlier, he had been paired with Shama Sikander on ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena’.

18. Salil Ankola - ‘Bigg Boss 1’

The first ‘Bigg Boss’ season also produced the strangest athlete exit in the franchise’s history. The show premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on November 3, 2006, with Arshad Warsi as host, and former Indian fast bowler Salil Ankola joined its inaugural cast.

Approximately six days later, he was ordered out – not by viewers or housemates, but after the Bombay High Court restrained him from appearing on the programme following a petition by Balaji Telefilms over an exclusivity dispute. Deepak Tijori replaced him. Salil’s journey therefore ended through legal paperwork before nominations could do the job, an opening-season twist even ‘Bigg Boss’ could not have scripted more bizarrely.

19. Mir Ranjan Negi - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 2’

Mir Ranjan Negi arrived on reality television just weeks after ‘Chak De! India’ had put hockey – and his own remarkable journey – back in the national conversation. The second season of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on September 28, 2007, with Mona Singh and Rohit Roy hosting.

Paired with choreographer Marischa Fernandes, the former Indian goalkeeper and women’s-team coach began as the season’s oldest participant but refused to become its ceremonial sporting guest. He improved enough to reach the semi-finals and even delivered a perfect-score performance along the way.

20. Mohinder Amarnath - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3’

Mohinder Amarnath had handled the West Indies pace attack in a World Cup final; a televised jive still made him question his life choices. The 1983 World Cup hero competed in ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3’, which premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on February 27, 2009. Shweta Tiwari initially hosted with Shiv Panditt and later with Rohit Roy, while Amarnath danced with Lillian Mendes.

He entered to have fun and loosen his famously serious image, approaching each routine like another match. His run ended after a face-off against Shilpa Shukla, prompting his memorable assessment that dancing was tougher than cricket. He did not last as long as fellow sportsman Bhaichung Bhutia, but watching one of Indian cricket’s toughest batters surrender to choreography was entertainment enough.

21. Akhil Kumar - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4’

Boxer Akhil Kumar discovered that quick feet inside a ring and quick feet beneath a disco ball are not identical skills. ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4’ premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on December 12, 2010, with Mona Singh and Sumeet Raghavan as hosts.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Beijing Olympian was paired with Sneha Kapoor in a field that included Sushant Singh Rajput, Yana Gupta and eventual winner Meiyang Chang. Akhil threw himself into the unfamiliar routines but became the third contestant eliminated, leaving on January 3, 2011.

22. Krishnamachari Srikkanth - ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6’

Krishnamachari Srikkanth batted as though defence were an unnecessary administrative formality, and he brought much the same philosophy to dancing. ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6’ premiered on Colors TV on June 1, 2013, with Manish Paul and Kapil Sharma hosting.

The former Indian captain entered with choreographer Amrita Maitra and declared that he would dance naturally rather than become consumed by technique. That plan delivered plenty of personality but not longevity: he was eliminated on June 15, only a week after joining the competition.

Honourable Mentions

Several other sporting names have briefly swapped stadium pressure for television spotlights. Cricketers Dinesh Karthik and Nikhil Chopra competed on Colors’ 2008 dance reality show ‘Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena’, partnering Nigar Khan and Barkha Bisht respectively. Olympian and Asian Games medallist Sandeep Sejwal entered ‘Nach Baliye 9’ with wife Pooja Banerjee as a wildcard in 2019, although their journey ended prematurely after Pooja suffered a serious rehearsal injury. Professional racing driver Armaan Ebrahim, meanwhile, tested a very different kind of speed on Priyanka Chopra-hosted ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 3’ in 2010. He was eliminated early, but became another memorable example of an athlete discovering that reality television can be every bit as unpredictable as competitive sport.