5 cricketers who appeared in serials and Bollywood movies

The marriage of cricket and entertainment was made with the arrival of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Or was it? Well, you might want to cast yourself back in time by a few years and give it a rethink.

Some of the world's favorite cricket stars have featured on the silver screen and this dates back to well before the IPL was even conceptualized. With the advent of the television era, sporting icons endorsing brands became a common sight that remains no different today.

A handful of them have also made cameo appearances in serials and Bollywood movies. Some managed to do so during their playing days, while others took to it well after they hung up their boots.

Let's refresh our memories with a peek into five cricketers who were seen in movies or serials.

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#5 Mohinder Amarnath in 83

The Bollywood movie '83' documented the famed story of Kapil Dev's team clinching the 1983 Prudential World Cup. While actor Saqib Saleem portrayed the role of Mohinder Amarnath, the man himself played a memorable role in the movie.

'Jimmy', as he's fondly called, played the role of his father and former Indian captain Lala Amarnath. A humorous moment in the movie sees Lala (played by Mohinder) fling his shoe towards his television screen when his son gets run out in the semi-final against England.

Mohinder stepped into his father's role quite seamlessly, showcasing his acting skills to brilliant effect.

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#4 Anil Kumble in Mirabai Not Out

This 2008 Bollywood flick starred popular TV and sports presenter Mandira Bedi in the lead role. Bedi essays the role of Meera, who happens to be a massive fan of leg-spinning veteran Anil Kumble.

Kumble made a cameo appearance in the film and to date, remains the only time he has donned acting shoes for the silver screen. Kumble played the role of himself in the movie that was released just weeks after he hung up his boots from international cricket.

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#3 Kiran More in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

Former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More played himself in the Bollywood biopic of former captain MS Dhoni.

More was also instrumental in training the late Sushant Singh Rajput, who portrayed the titular role in the movie. The movie shows More, the then-chairman of selectors, closely spotting a young Dhoni before drafting him into the national setup.

Besides this, the 49-Test veteran also made an appearance as himself in the cricket-themed serial Tamanna in 2016.

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#2 Brett Lee in Victory

From playing the guitar to performing with veteran singer Asha Bhosle, Australian speedster Brett Lee always had a thing for the field of art.

The 2009 Bollywood movie Victory was centered around cricket and featured multiple popular names including Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra and Dinesh Karthik playing themselves in the movie.

Lee was also among the many professional cricketers who made an appearance in the movie. Post his playing days, he also starred in an Australian movie. unINDIAN. where he played the role of a teacher. The movie hit the big screens in 2015.

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#1 Kapil Dev in C.I.D

The legendary Kapil Dev isn't averse to making appearances on the silver screen.

Haryana Hurricane has made cameo appearances as himself in multiple Bollywood movies that include the cricket-themed Iqbal and Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii, as well as the Salman Khan-starrer Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

One of his most iconic roles, though, came in the hit series C.I.D,, where he essayed his own role in a couple of episodes.

The show, which ran for 20 years and was a popular hit among the masses, saw the World Cup-winning captain make a memorable appearance in 2003. An all-rounder in every true sense, isn't he?

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Who do you think can make a good actor out of today's crop of cricketers? Let us know below in the comments section!

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