In Love With India
YOU South Africa|8 February 2018

A growing family, an active lifestyle and plenty of travel -- Jonty Rhodes is having the time of his life

Lara Atson
In Love With India

‘FAMILIES are like cricket teams,” a caption alongside a picture of the family reads. “It’s easy to be happy when you’re winning but when times are tough a team that’s first and foremost happy will stand together and come out as winners.”

And if photos are anything to go by, it’s pretty clear this little band of four is a winning team. One snap taken just after New Year’s Day at a food stall in India shows a barefoot mom and a dad in flipflops both beaming with their cute kids nestled in their arms.

Jonty Rhodes is, of course, the dad in question. Beloved by South Africans for his acrobatic fielding skills in his days as a Protea, he’s bowled over by this vast subcontinent.

He’d been the fielding coach of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for nine years when in December he called it a day to focus on personal business.

India’s become a second home to him so it’s little surprise Jonty and his wife, Melanie, named their daughter India.

She was born in Mumbai in 2015 and last year Nathan Jon joined the family. Like his elder sister, he was welcomed into the world via a water birth.

At the time Melanie wrote on Instagram, “@jontyrhodes8 wasn’t present at the birth like we obviously would’ve wanted as Nathan Jon was born in Mumbai one hour before Jonty had to warm the MI team up for the IPL 2017 finals.”

His team ended up lifting the IPL trophy for the third time, just hours after the little boy was born.

But the proud dad was present when Nathan (now eight months) started switching to solids last October. Melanie shared a cute video on Instagram to capture this moment. There’s also an adorable vid of the doting dad cooing to his son as he wriggles in delight on a table.

Esta historia es de la edición 8 February 2018 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición 8 February 2018 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE YOU SOUTH AFRICAVer todo
BALLON IN THE BAG
YOU South Africa

BALLON IN THE BAG

Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024
IT WAS ALL A LIE
YOU South Africa

IT WAS ALL A LIE

A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story

time-read
5 minutos  |
14 November 2024
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
YOU South Africa

'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'

After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country

time-read
10+ minutos  |
14 November 2024
AGREE TO DISAGREE
YOU South Africa

AGREE TO DISAGREE

Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024
PAUSE THE CLOCK
YOU South Africa

PAUSE THE CLOCK

Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down

time-read
5 minutos  |
14 November 2024
MPOOMY ON TOP
YOU South Africa

MPOOMY ON TOP

We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
YOU South Africa

MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME

Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024
MATT THE RECLUSE
YOU South Africa

MATT THE RECLUSE

A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024
A LEAP OF FAITH
YOU South Africa

A LEAP OF FAITH

After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love

time-read
5 minutos  |
14 November 2024
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
YOU South Africa

THEY'RE MY KIDS!

This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it

time-read
4 minutos  |
14 November 2024