Watch out for these glamorous, super-devoted Wags

As the players look to seize the moment on the big stage, their partners will grab attention from the stands with their style and smile. HT brings you the glamorous side of the World Cup.

ANUSHKA SHARMA They are the perfect fire-and-ice couple! When the combustible Virat Kohli had a form slump during the England tour last year, the presence of his girlfriend, Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, was blamed. But Kohli gave a fitting reply to his critics in Australia, sizzling with the bat and blowing a kiss to his delighted partner in the stands every time he got a century.

SAKSHI DHONI
The former student of hotel management is no longer the beaming presence in the stands she was at the IPL, but constantly travels with the India skipper. The couple was introduced to each other by a common friend while she was working in Kolkata. They kept in touch and eventually tied the knot in a private ceremony. However, she seems to have lost her WAG No 1 crown to Anushka.

AYESHA MUKHERJEE She is a global citizen, someone with Bengali and British roots who lives in Melbourne. Shikhar Dhawan’s wife is 10 years older to him, but they have similar interests — tattoos, bikes and sports. Ayesha is an amateur kickboxer as well.

MAYANTI LANGER The former model is seen more often on TV than husband, all-rounder Stuart Binny. The sports presenter on leading channels over the last few years mainly handles football. They took the plunge a couple of years ago, and Binny’s star seem to be on the rise since then.

YEHALI SANGAKKARAIt was a romance which bloomed during their school days in Kandy. Kumar Sangakkara dated his childhood sweetheart Yehali for more than eight years before they got hitched. “In my case, it (marriage) keeps me grounded and gives me a base where I can think my life out, refocus and renew energies for the next day,” says the ex-Sri Lanka skipper.

KYLY CLARKE
A model and television presenter, the 33-year-old Kyly married Australian skipper Michael Clarke in 2012.Apart from a few acting stints, she also runs an interior design business. She was also a contestant on reality TV show Dancing with the Stars.

DANIELLE DE VILLIERS
The most valuable player in the game proposed to his girlfriend at the most famous monument of love, the Taj Mahal during the 2013 IPL. AB de Villiers, the SA skipper, tied the knot with Danielle a few months later. The courtship was long, the couple having met eight years ago in De Villiers’ father’s farm and remained friends.

DANI WILLIS
Steve Smith is easily the hottest property in Australian cricket at the moment. But the player credits girlfriend Dani Willis for his success. A law and commerce student at Sydney’s Macquarie University, Willis also makes sure Smith is never short of practice, she gives him occasional throw downs in the hotel lobby.

JESSICA BRATICH
They are truly a fast couple. Mitchell Johnson, currently the world’s fastest bowler is married to a former world karate champion. It is not just reflected glory for Jessica, who has her own fashion label.

LEE FURLONG Shane Watson’s wife gets the ringside view in more ways than one. She is a presenter with Fox Sports. Lee was once voted the world’s No 1 WAG, ahead of Victoria Beckham. Who said football is always bigger than cricket! It has been a long and draining tour of Australia. The Indian players will hope the BCCI relents and lets their wives and girlfriends accompany them at some point. If there is a U-turn, the likes of Bollywood diva Anushka Sharma will add spice to the tournament.

CANDICE FALZON
Australian opener David Warner can do with a calming presence in life. His current flame, who is of Maltese origin, too is in the fitness business. She is a professional ironwoman competitor, and a model. She also happens to be a trained lifesaver, like those on the TV series Baywatch. A sizzling duo.

JESSICA TAYLOR
England will miss Kevin Pietersen’s services in the World Cup Down Under, which means his wife and and award winning popsinger Jessica Taylor will also not be under the spotlight. Taylor was the member of the all-girl band Liberty X apart from modelling appearances on TV shows.
(Photos: Getty Images, HT File, AFP)