Several Indian athletes combined their excellence in sport with national service through the armed forces at some point. Some of these sportsmen hold honorary ranks while others actually served as officers in the military or other armed forces branch. Sportspeople who served the nation aim to display their national pride alongside remarkable sporting achievement.
High-profile cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni received honorary commissions into the Indian Air Force and Territorial Army at some point in their careers. Other popular sporting figures like Milkha Singh and Rajyavardhan Rathore built entire military careers without attaining any honorary position.
Let’s check out some of the top sports stars with the honour of holding positions within the country’s armed forces.
1. MS Dhoni – Lt. Col. (Honorary), Territorial Army
Team India’s former cricket captain Dhoni was commissioned as an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. The star cricketer earned this recognition to become a part of the Parachute Regiment of the Territorial Army.
Dhoni performed in and completed paratrooper training before these ceremonial duties. He also received deployments for patrol and guard duties in Kashmir for two months (July to August 2019).
2. Sachin Tendulkar – Grp. Cpt. (Honorary), Indian Air Force
Sachin ‘Master Blaster’ Tendulkar became India’s first civilian and non-aviator to receive the honorary Group Captain rank in the air force. The Indian Air Force presented this recognition to Tendulkar as an acknowledgement of his contribution to the nation’s pride through sport.
Sachin has been on ceremonial flights since attaining the honorary rank. A notable moment in Tendulkar’s honorary recognition came when he was aboard the Sukhoi fighter jet piloted by one of India’s top air force personnel.
3. Rajyavardhan Rathore – Col., Indian Army
Athens 2004 was the event that shot Rajyavardhan Rathore to fame. The skilled athlete earned greater recognition for being the country’s first solo Olympic silver medallist. Rathore held down active military roles before venturing into athletics and served during the Kargil War.
His experience and boosted recognition also earned Rathore a stint as India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports.
4. Kapil Dev – Lt. Col. (Honorary), Territorial Army
Kapil Dev led India to the nation’s first-ever Cricket World Cup in 1983. He received an honorary commission as a Lieutenant Colonel in India’s Territorial Army 25 years later in September 2008. Dev helped lend his status to improve the outreach and recruitment drives of the armed forces after this commission.
5. Neeraj Chopra – Naib Subedar, Indian Army
Neeraj Chopra is a javelin thrower and Olympic Champion. The talented Olympiad also holds the Naib Subedar (Junior Commissioned Officer) rank in India’s 4 Rajputana Rifles. Chopra also received a further honorary promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army in 2025.
6. Abhinav Bindra – Lt. Col., Territorial Army
India won gold through Abhinav Bindra at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The talented air rifleman received a honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel three years later in the Territorial Army.
BONUS: Bollywood Actors Who Served in the Indian Armed Forces
Nana Patekar
Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar was once in the frontlines for India’s military before becoming an on-screen sensation. Patekar was among the soldiers drafted to restore order during the 1999 Kargil conflict. He also had experience with the Maratha Light Infantry and earned a temporary commission before Bollywood.
Achyut Potdar
Lage Raho Munna and 3 Idiots star Achyut Potdar once served in the Indian Army. His career began in academia where he was a professor before joining India’s military. Potdar’s first role in movies came at 44 after achieving several remarkable feats within the country’s armed forces.
He ended his military service in 1967 and has since become one of Bollywood’s most-disciplined actors owing to his training.
Gufi Paintal
Gufi ‘Shakuni Mama’ Paintal hails from Mahabharata and served the nation during the Indo-China War of 1962. Paintal was an engineering student when the war broke out. He managed a direct recruitment and joined an artillery unit along China’s border. Paintal revealed that his experience during the war helped shape his resilient and intense approach to interpreting roles in Bollywood.
Mohammed Ali Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is the uncle to former army officer turned cinema ace Mohammed Ali Shah. Mohammed served in the Indian army at Haider and handled postings to the volatile India – Pakistan border. He held such postings for a couple of years before entering India’s cinema industry.
Anand Bakshi
Popular classic Bollywood lyricist Anand Bakshi once served in the Indian Navy. Bakshi held down a 12-year stint at the Indian naval armed forces branch before pivoting to become a musical maestro. His time in the Indian navy spanned between 1944 to 1956.
