Vijay Devarakonda to play cricketer Krish Srikkanth in Ranveer Singh-starrer 83?

After Simmba and Gully Boy, Ranveer Singh will be seen in the role of former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan’s 83. The film is based on the historic win of the Indian cricket team at the 1983 Cricket World Cup held in England and Wales. According to reports, Telugu star Vijay Devarakonda has been roped in to play former cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth in the film. The legendary batsman from Tamil Nadu had scored the highest runs in the final match against West Indies in 1983. He was appointed the captain of the Indian cricket team in 1989. 

Vijay Devarakonda gained popularity with his performance in the 2016 romantic comedy, Pelli Choopulu. This was followed by the critically-acclaimed cult hit, Arjun Reddy (2017), where he played a high-functioning alcoholic surgeon with anger issues. His recent appearances were in the Telugu films Mahanati, Geetha Govindam and Taxiwala — all of which released to commercial success in 2018.

Kabir Khan has directed popular Bollywood films like Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). Speaking about his desire to make a film on the 1983 Cricket World Cup, the filmmaker had earlier said, “As a young schoolboy, when I watched India win the 1983 Cricket World Cup, I had no idea that from that day onwards cricket in India would change forever.  As a filmmaker, for me, the journey to that win, filled with raw energy and sheer passion of that young Indian team, is probably one of the most exciting stories I have worked on.”

The makers of 83 are yet to officially announce Vijay Devarakonda’s entry into the cast. The release date of the film was initially announced to be April 5, but was later postponed to August 30, 2019.