BENGALURU: Krishnappa Gowtham’s phone, social media and chats are still abuzz with congratulatory messages from his well-wishers and fans since the news of his wedding, which took place on December 5. Gowtham recently tied the knot with his long-time sweetheart, Archana Sundar, and is currently riding high on marital bliss. “We know each other for past nine years, and the wedding just seemed like a formality,” says Gowtham, who had an intimate function in presence of close friends and family. The cricketer won hearts on social media when he posted a picture of his wife with used red balls after his win against Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy on December 12, captioning it, “... happy wife getting her wedding gifts.” Going all praises for her, he says, “Being a cricketer is not at all easy. It’s a nomadic life. And if you don’t have an understanding partner, it gets difficult to manage things.”
The year 2019 was quite an eventful year for this Karnataka all-rounder, as he made headlines for all the right reasons, both personally and professionally. In August, he smashed the fastest hundred in Karnataka Premier League, from 39 balls and finished unbeaten on 134. Speaking to CE about his record, he says, “Of course, I was excited about the record and nobody is prepared for such a situation. When you enter a crease, all you want to do is perform your best.” He also mentions that he had to try really hard to tone down his excitement.
For 2020 IPL, Gowtham will be representing Kings XI Punjab. “Currently, I am undergoing treatment for my injury at National Cricket Association and can’t wait to get back on track,” he adds. Gowtham had his ‘hall of fame’ moment during the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, when he was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping Rs 6.2 crore. He recalls that the day was surreal. His name had not come up on the first day of the auction and with not much hope, Gowtham had stopped following the bidding updates. But later, he got a call from his then girlfriend and now wife Sundar, saying, “Your name has come up and you are sleeping!!!” The funniest thing was, his phone was constantly running out of battery as it didn’t stop ringing.
Always passionate about cricket, Gowtham’s professional career took flight when he was picked for the Under-15 zonal tournament in Bengaluru, where he was the second highest wicket-taker. He played his first Ranji Trophy game for Karnataka against West Bengal in November 2012. He says Bengaluru has a special place in his heart because for him, it does not matter which city he plays for, but this is the place where he started off playing gully cricket, and hence, the special connection.