From Sachin Tendulkar to Harbhajan Singh, here are ten popular Indian cricketers who have also appeared in movies

Cricket and cinema are two of the most popular favourites in India and the paths of the two fields have crossed often. Many Indian cricketers have tried their hand at acting, with Shikhar Dhawan being the latest addition to the list. As the cricketer is set to appear in the upcoming Hindi-language film, Double XL, we bring you ten other Indian cricketers who have appeared in movies:

Ajay Jadeja

The former Indian cricketer, who was active in Indian national cricket from 1992 to 2000, also appeared in films. He made his silver screen debut in the 2003 Bollywood film Khel, which starred Sunny Deol and Suniel Shetty. The actor also had a role in the 2009 Hindi-language film, Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaat, which co-starred Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli. 

Also read: Opening new innings: cricketer Shikhar Dhawan will be seen in the upcoming Hindi-language film, Double XL

Vinod Kambli 

The former cricketer, who played for the country as a left-handed middle-order batsman, made his film debut in 2002 with the Hindi-language film, Annarth, starring Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty, He later appeared in the 2009 film, Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaat, which also starred Ajay Jadeja, and made a special appearance in the 2015 Kannada film, Bettanagere.

Sunil Gavaskar

The former Indian cricket player tried his hand at acting in 1980 with the Marathi-language film, Savli Premachi, in which he was the lead. The cricket commentator, who was popular for his bowling technique, also sang several tracks in Marathi films. The sportsperson also made a special appearance in the 1988 Bollywood film, Maalamaal, which featured Naseeruddin Shah in the lead role. 

Kapil Dev 

The former captain of the Indian cricket team has appeared in many Indian movies in special appearances. Kapil was the captain of the Indian cricket team during the 1983 Cricket World Cup, which was the first time India won the title. The sportsman appeared in an episode of the Indian crime-TV show, CID. He also made a special appearance in the 2004 David Dhawan directional, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, which starred Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. He also appeared in cameos in more Bollywood films including Iqbal (2005), Chain Kuli Ki Main Kuli (2007), and 83 (2021).

S Sreesanth

Former Indian cricketer Shanthakumaran Nair Sreesanth has appeared in many Indian films. The cricketer made his silver screen debut with the Hindi-language film, Aksar 2, directed by Anand Mahadevan. The sportsperson has also appeared in an array of films across languages including movies like Team 5 (Malayalam), Cabaret (Hindi), Kempe Gowda 2 (Kannada), and Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal (Tamil).

Harbhajan Singh

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh made his film debut with a special appearance in the Hindi-language film, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, which also featured other players from the Indian cricket team in cameos. He went on to feature in other films like Bhaji in Problem, Second Hand Husband, and Dikkiloon in special appearances. He appeared in the 2021 Tamil film, Friendship, in a lead role along with Tamil actor Arjun.

Also read: Kapil Dev to be honoured at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Irfan Pathan

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan, who began his career as a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team at the age of 19, made his film debut this year with the Tamil film Cobra, which starred Tamil actor Chiyaan Vikram in the lead role. The psychological action film that was helmed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu also starred Srinidhi Shetty, Roshan Mathew, KS Ravikumar, Anandaraj, Robo Shankar, and Miya George in pivotal roles.

Sachin Tendulkar 

The Master Blaster of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar made his onscreen debut with the 2017 documentary drama film, Sachin: A Billion Dreams, which was helmed by James Erskine. The film narrated the story of Sachin as a cricketer and also his personal life featuring some events that were unknown to the public.

Yuvraj Singh 

The former all-rounder Indian cricketer is the son of the former Indian cricketer and actor Yograj Singh. The cricketer first appeared in the film as a child artiste in the 1992 Punjabi film,  Mehndi Shagna Di. He also lent his voice to the 2008 Hindi-language animated film, Jumbo.

Shikhar Dhawan 

Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan will be soon seen performing for the camera in the upcoming Hindi-language movie, Double XL, which stars Bollywood actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi as the leads. According to sources, the film narrates the story of two plus-sized women pursuing their dreams.