Top 10 cricket movies and web series every fan must watch

Cricket is more than just a sport for millions of fans in India, and its popularity has generally found its way onto the big and small screens. Over the years, the filmmakers and the streaming platforms have explored the game through several inspiring stories, personal struggles, and behind-the-scenes dramas, along with the intense rivalries. 

From the fictional teams for glory to the real-life stories of the legendary players such as Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni, the movies and web series have offered the viewers an alternate perspective on the game. These stories often move beyond the proceedings on the field, highlighting the pressure, sacrifices, friendships, and challenges that have become a part and parcel of the cricketing world.

Some productions focus on the journey of the individual players, while others create an environment around professional cricket. There are shows that blend the game with drama, entertainment, and larger-than-life characters, making them appealing even to viewers who may not follow every single match.  

For cricket fans, these web series and movies can be enjoyable to relive the iconic moments or experience the game through a fictional lens. They have displayed how the sport has influenced the culture, especially in the countries where the sport has a strong bond and following.

The ultimate watchlist — Top 10 cricket movies and web series

Whether one enjoys the inspirational sports dramas, fictional cricket-based entertainment, biographical stories, or others, there are multiple options to explore. Here is a look at the top 10 cricket movies and web series every fan should consider watching at some stage-

#10 Chain Kulii ki Main Kulii (2007)-

‘Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii’ is a Hindi movie based on cricket that revolves around Karan, a 13-year-old orphan who dreamt of becoming a professional cricketer. Directed by Karanjeet Saluja, Jain Khan played the role of Karan, and Rahul Bose acted as the Indian player, Varun Roy. Kapil Dev also made a small cameo appearance in the movie. The movie is based on Karan’s journey from an orphanage to international cricket.

Karan grew a strong bond with Varun, given that both characters deal with their own struggles in their family. The movie reflects self-belief, dreams, and finding confidence. Karan felt his bat was magical, but actually, his confidence gave him the power to earn success. That was the most important message of the movie.

#9 Kaun Pravin Tambe? (2022)-

‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’ is a Hindi drama that tells the extraordinary story of the Indian player, Pravin Tambe. Directed by Jayprad Desai, the film stars Shreyas Talpade, who plays the lead role, highlighting Tambe’s long and tough journey in the game. The 134-minute film reflects how the spinner waited for his chances and refused to give up on his ambition at any cost.

See Also: List of Indian cricketers who have a Tattoo of their wife's or girlfriend's name on their body

Tambe’s journey took him to the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he featured for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), and he got an opportunity to play at the age of 41. The movie explored his transition into a leg spinner and the challenges he faced due to his age. For the fans, it offers a look at the years of waiting, rejection, and hard work.

#8 The Test: A New Era For Australia’s Team (2020)-

“The Test: A New Era for Australia’s team” is an eight-part documentary that takes viewers to Australia’s rebuilding phase after the 2018 Sandpaper Gate scandal. It captures the journey of their players attempting to rebuild the team’s culture and earn back success in international cricket after the appointment of head coach Justin Langer.

The first season covered Australia’s campaigns against Pakistan and India, followed by their Ashes 2019 win in England. It offered the insights of players such as Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, and others, as they navigated the challenges of international cricket. The web series offers the personalities of the players, setbacks, and the rebuilding process of the Australian side.

#7 Shabaash Mithu (2022)-

Shabaash Mithu is the Hindi sports drama based on the life and the cricketing journey of the former Indian women’s captain, Mithali Raj. It was directed by Srijit Mukherji, and the movie stars Taapsee Pannu as Mithali. It traces the journey of the batter from her childhood in Hyderabad, as the movie highlighted the challenges she faced in establishing herself in a sport that had less attention than men’s cricket.

The movie showed the struggles, setbacks, and the sacrifices involved in reaching the highest level. It also featured Jhulan Goswami, who inspired Mithali to take up the sport. The movie is a combination of personal struggles and the determination to tell the story of a player who came through the hard path.

#6 Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017)-

Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a documentary sports film, directed by James Erskine, that shows the life and journey of Sachin Tendulkar, released in 2017. It traces his journey from a young boy with a passion for cricket to becoming the most celebrated sporting figure in India. Family members and several other players were also part of the story.

See Also: Complete list of Bollywood films based on real-life Indian cricketers

The documentary also had appearances from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, and many others. A.R. Rahman gave music in this documentary. For the fans, it offers a chance to revisit the important moments from Tendulkar’s career. 

#5 Inside Edge (2017)-

Inside Edge is a Hindi sports drama web series, which was created by Karan Anshuman and revolves around the fictional Mumbai Mavericks, a T20 team competing in the Powerplay League, where the movie explores the world beyond the field and the business interests, power, and money.

The story follows the co-owner Zarina Malik, captain Arvind Vashishth, and other players connected with the franchise. There are also allegations of match-fixing and corruption, which bring out the darker side of professional cricket. The movie focuses on the people and the power struggles around the professional T20 league.

#4 Iqbal (2005)-

Iqbal, released in 2005, is a Hindi sports drama directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, which stars Shreyas Talpade in the lead role along with Naseeruddin Shah. It follows the inspiring journey of Iqbal, who is a deaf and mute boy from a rural background, dreaming of playing for India. He found an unlikely mentor in Mohit, the former player played by Naseeruddin.

See Also: Hardik Pandya's complete tattoo list, decoded — What every symbol really means

Under Mohit’s guidance, Iqbal develops his fast-bowling performance and finally earns a place in the Andhra Pradesh team in the Ranji Trophy. His bowling finally attracted the attention of the national selectors as he represented the country. The story reflects determination and self-belief, and it won the National Film Award for Best Film.

#3 83 (2021)-

The movie ‘83’ is a Hindi movie directed by Kabir Khan and recreates India’s 1983 Prudential World Cup win under Kapil Dev’s captaincy. Ranveer Singh plays Kapil’s role, while Deepika Padukone plays his wife, Romi Dev. India had never won the title before that. It displayed Kapil’s famous knock of 175* against Zimbabwe, where he recovered the Blue Brigade from 17/5.

The story ended with Kapil’s superb catch in the final at Lord’s against West Indies. The ‘83’ movie combines the action with the personal experiences and the dynamics around the historic campaign. It offers a cinematic recreation of Indian cricket.

#2 M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)-

The biographical movie of MS Dhoni, named ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’, directed by Neeraj Pandey, was released in 2016 and featured Sushant Singh Rajput as Dhoni. It followed the journey from the early days in Ranchi to becoming India’s World Cup-winning captain.

It showed how Dhoni transformed himself from being a football keeper to a wicket-keeper, after being spotted by cricket coach Keshav Banerjee. A major part of the story reflects on the player’s struggles before recognition in international cricket. It covered his breakthrough, relationships, capacity, and the T20 World Cup 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup 2011 title wins.

#1 Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)-

‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’ is a Hindi historical sports drama, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starring Aamir Khan in the lead role. The film shows the villagers of Champaner facing a challenge from the British officers in a cricket match. The dramatic turn came when Captain Andrew Russell challenged the villagers and reckoned that if they won, their Lagaan would be cancelled for three years.

See Also: Vinod Kambli web series: Who will play him? Cast & OTT details

Bhuvan, played by Aamir, accepted the challenge, despite having no knowledge of the game. They won the climactic game. The movie showed the courage, unity, and resistance of the villagers. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards.

Top 10 cricket movies and web series- FAQs