"Nobody Wanted Their Daughter To Marry Me": Ex-India Star L Sivaramakrishnan Narrates Battle With Depression, Alcohol Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, the former India leg-spinner, has opened up about the personal and professional challenges he faced during his cricketing career, including battles with depression, alcohol, and societal judgment. The 1987 World Cup veteran, who made his India debut at 17, described how his reputation was tarnished by persistent allegations of drug and alcohol abuse, which made it difficult for him to find a partner despite his status as an international cricketer. Sivaramakrishnan recounted how his career was marked by a mix of early promise and later struggles. During his teenage years, he faced accusations of being an alcoholic and a drug addict, even though he maintained that he had never used drugs. He explained that the constant negative publicity made it nearly impossible for him to maintain a normal life. "People love to spread bad things. My tours happened between 16 and 19 years. How would people serve me alcohol in a hotel when I was underage? I have never done drugs in my life. I have had a few beers later in my life— I don't say no to that. But imagine a 19-year-old being called an alcoholic, a drug addict," he said. The former spinner also revealed how these allegations affected his personal relationships. He stated that his reputation had become so damaged that even as an international player, he struggled to find someone willing to marry him. "People had made my reputation so terrible that nobody wanted to let their daughter marry me," he shared. Sivaramakrishnan’s exit from Indian cricket was equally tumultuous. He described how the selectors allegedly asked him to publicly blame fitness issues for his absence from the team rather than performance.#mental_health #india_cricket_team #ipl #laxman_sivaramakrishnan #world_cup_1987
