Guyana: Legendary West Indies cricketer Viv Richards was undoubtedly one of the greatest batsmen of his era.
A key member of the West Indies team that won two World Cups, he was known for converting his innings into big scores at a time when even scoring a century was considered a major achievement.
He also held the record for the highest individual ODI score of 189 runs for many years, until Saeed Anwar broke it in 1997 with 194 runs against India.
Richards was famous for his fearless batting style. He played against some of the fastest bowlers of his time, including Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee, and Jeff Thomson, often without wearing a helmet—even on fast and bouncy Australian pitches, which was considered a remarkable feat.
However, his personal life also attracted significant attention. During the 1980s, Richards was involved in a relationship with Indian actress Neena Gupta.
Despite being married, he maintained this relationship for a long time, which later resulted in the birth of their daughter, Masaba Gupta.
When the news became public, it created a major uproar in India, as having a child outside marriage was not socially accepted at the time.
Due to their fame, the matter received widespread media coverage and criticism.
Although Richards acknowledged his daughter and stayed in touch with her, he declined to marry Neena Gupta despite her requests, mainly because of his existing family in the Caribbean.
Neena Gupta made the difficult decision to raise her daughter on her own.
She not only took full responsibility for her upbringing but also built a successful life for both herself and her child.
Masaba Gupta later became a well-known fashion designer.
In interviews and appearances, including her show Sach Kahun Toh, Neena Gupta has shared that raising a child as a single mother was extremely challenging, but she remained committed to giving her daughter a successful future.
