Sardesai first met Nandini Pant (born 1945) in Mumbai's Berry's restaurant when she was holidaying in the city after her exams. Sardesai was a university cricketer during the time. The two kept in touch during the latter's tour of the Caribbean with Indian team in 1961–62, before marrying a couple of years later. Pant worked as a sociology professor for 35 years and later as member of the Central Board of Film Certification till 2015. She is currently a visiting faculty in some of Mumbai's leading colleges. Sardesai's cousin Sopandev was also a cricketer, who played as a wicket-keeper in the first-class level for Rajputana. The Sardesais had three children together: son Rajdeep, and two daughters. Rajdeep is a television journalist and former cricketer. As a cricketer, he earned an Oxford University blue, before beginning a career in journalism. He was the editor-in-chief of IBN18 Network prior to his resignation in 2014; his wife Sagarika Ghose is also a journalist. One of Dilip's daughters, Shonali, is a senior social scientist with the World Bank in Washington, D.C.