National Film Award winner Ayushmann Khurrana to play Sourav Ganguly in sports biopic – Reports

Bollywood superstar Ayushmann Khurrana, a National Film Award winner, will reportedly play former India captain Sourav Ganguly in a sports biopic.

Ayushmann, who is rumored to bat left-handed, will undergo months of intense cricket training before beginning the shooting. The shooting is likely to start during the third or fourth quarter of 2024.

As per peepingmoon.com, Vikramaditya Motwane will direct the sports drama. He is known for hit movies like Udaan and Lootera. The report said:

“Producers Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, who are producing this film under their Luv Films banner, have hit a six by bringing together Ayushmann Khurrana and Vikramaditya Motwane.”

For the unversed, Ayushmann is famous for several hit films like Vicky Donor, Andhadhun, and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, among others. Ganguly’s biopic could get the same recognition as MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Sachin: A Billion Dreams.

Sourav Ganguly’s career in numbers

Sourav Ganguly is regarded as one of the greatest and most impactful cricket captains that India has had. The 51-year-old represented India in 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, scoring 18,433 runs at an average of 41.41, including 38 tons and 106 half-centuries.

The left-handed batter is the fourth-highest run-scorer for India, after Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Virat Kohli (26,704*), and Rahul Dravid (24,064).

As a captain, Ganguly led India in 196 matches with 97 wins and 79 losses, with 21 victories in 49 Tests and 76 wins in 146 ODIs.

He is only behind Virat Kohli (135 wins in 213 games), Mohammad Azharuddin (104 wins in 221), and MS Dhoni (178 wins in 332) among successful captains for India across formats.

Ganguly led the Men in Blue to the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy joint-winner title and the 2003 ODI World Cup final. He was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award, Padma Shri in 2004. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008.

Apart from international cricket, Ganguly has also played 59 Indian Premier League games, where he scored 1,349 runs and bagged 10 wickets. He bid adieu to all forms of cricket in 2012.

Sourav Ganguly, who is also referred to as Dada (elder brother), also served as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He is currently serving as the mentor of the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.