On Daughter's Birthday, Jonty Rhodes Shares a Golden Memory With Wife Melanie Wolf

South African legend Jonty Rhodes' love for India is an open secret and its reflection is evident in his personal life as well. In 2015 when Rhodes was in the country for his coaching assignment in the Indian Premier League (IPL), his wife Melanie Wolf gave birth to their first child at a hospital in Santa Cruz on April 24. At that time, Rhodes was serving as the fielding coach of Mumbai Indians. The couple named their daughter India Jeanne Rhodes. The former South Africa cricketer is in India this year as well for his commitments with another IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants. He shared a heartfelt post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), reminiscing about the nine-year-old memory. “Hard to believe that 9 years ago, almost to the hour, India Jeanne Rhodes was delivered in a waterbirth pool, at Surya Mother & Childcare hospital in Santacruz during IPL 2015,” wrote Jonty.

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About naming his daughter India, Jonty Rhodes said that he always appreciated the rich mix of culture, heritage and tradition of the country and that is why he took up that decision. When India Jeanne Rhodes turned two years old, his father shared an adorable picture on social media. That post was reshared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi wrote, “Happy birthday to India, from India.”

Jonty Rhodes was overwhelmed by the gesture as he extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “Thank u, Narendra Modi ji. Baby India really has been blessed in the land of her birth, by so many amazing people.”

Like India Jeanne Rhodes, her younger brother and Jonty Rhode’s second child Nathan John was also born in Mumbai. “The prize before the prize, Mumbai Indians? Nathan John 'plunged' into the world at 6:20 pm on the IPL final,” Jonty had written in the caption announcing the birth of his son. The day became more special for Rhodes after Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by one run in a gripping final to claim their third IPL trophy.

Jonty Rhodes parted ways with Mumbai Indians in 2017 after spending nine seasons with them. He was signed as the fielding coach of Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the 2023 IPL.