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Journalism of Courage
Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed that he proposed to his wife, Akshata Murty, in Kannada, despite not being fluent in the language. In a candid conversation with The Times of India, Sunak said the gesture was his way of honouring her roots and showing respect for her culture.
Akshata is the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and celebrated author, philanthropist and MP Sudha Murty. Sunak said marrying into the Murty family deepened his appreciation for Kannada culture, wholeheartedly adopting it, and turned him into a passionate supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Sunak and Akshata met while studying at Stanford University and got married in an intimate ceremony in Bengaluru in 2009. The couple now have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.
“I’m married into a Bangalore family, so RCB is my team,” Sunak told TOI. He recalled being given an RCB jersey by his in-laws during the wedding, which sparked his long-standing loyalty to the team. “We went to matches a long time ago and I used to cheer them on in Downing Street,” he said.
Like millions of RCB fans, Sunak named Virat Kohli as his favourite cricketer, calling him a “total legend”. He also revealed that one of his most cherished mementoes is a bat signed by Kohli, gifted to him during his tenure as prime minister by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
This connection to the team became even more special when Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their first-ever IPL trophy after years of close calls and heartbreaks. The championship clash, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, was a thrilling contest where RCB defeated the Punjab Kings by six runs. The victory brought an end to an 18-year-long wait and marked a historic milestone in the team’s journey, one that made the moment all the more meaningful for devoted fans like Sunak.
