The world knows them inside out, or so they think. But do you know how they got to where they are? Take a look at how these Indian sportspersons overcame adversity to achieve glory.
1. Pathan Brothers
Their father worked as a muezzin in a mosque and earned very little. Yusuf and Irfan grew up in the mosque where they had their first cricket lessons. For a long time, Irfan didn't even have proper cricket shoes. Despite their struggle, the boys persevered and went on to play for India.
2. Ravindra Jadeja
He used to survive on a mere 10 Rupees a day. His father was a watchman in a shopping complex and he always wanted his son to join the army. His mother worked as a nurse and spent a considerable amount of her earnings on Jadeja's kit. Jadeja lost his mother at 17 and that so devastated him that he wanted to quit everything. But then he remembered his mother's last wish - to see her son don the national colours. Today, Jadeja is one of India's leading all-rounders.
3. Milkha Singh
As a child, Milkha Singh lost his parents, a brother and two sisters to the partition, and consequently, he wanted to become a dacoit. But fate had greater plans in store for him when he joined the Indian Army and started participating in running events. The rest, as they say, is history.
4. Mary Kom
Young Mary helped her parents on the field and attended government school. The family, at times, struggled to make ends meet, and Mary's goal was to lift her family out of poverty. Mary fought against all odds and today Manipur's most famous daughter is a national superstar.
5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Before his under-17 game, Bhuvneshwar didn't have a proper pair of shoes, so his sister spent her savings and got him an expensive pair. Today, he is India's leading pace bowler in all the formats. Did you know that he's the only Indian bowler to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar for a duck in first-class cricket?
6. MS Dhoni
A 20-year-old MS Dhoni came to Kharagpur in search of a job, and worked as a ticket collector for 3 years. Today, he is India's most successful captain ever.
7. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi aka Tiger Pataudi was a charismatic prince amongst cricketers. As a 20-year-old, Pataudi lost his right eye due to an accident in England. This was before he played for India. Tiger didn't let this accident affect his dream to play for the country. He practiced batting with one eye and excelled as a cricketer.