After several years of experience on ground, ace cricketer Suresh Raina, fondly called 'Chinna Thala' by fans, is all set to debut in a yet-to-be-titled Tamil film, directed by Logan. However, this is not the first time players have entered the cinema arena. From Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Harbhajan Singh to Krishnamachari Srikanth, many cricketers have made a memorable on-screen debut in Tamil cinema. From a villain to a hero's friend, it has been an interesting for fans of the game to see their beloved stars make an entry into films as well. CE lists seven such cricketers who have acted in Tamil films:
Former Indian international cricketer Sadagopan Ramesh made his debut with Ravi Mohan's hit Santosh Subramanian (2008), directed by Mohan Raja as the lead hero's brother. The left-handed opening batter also played the lead role in Potta Potti (2011), directed by Yuvaraj Dhayalan. Fans were also in for a surprise when the cricketer also played a pivotal role as Ramesh in Madha Gaja Raja, helmed by Sundar C. The long-delayed project saw the light of the day earlier this year and was a hit at box office.
Former cricketer Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, currently a commentator made a cameo appearance in Prabhu's Raja Kaiya Vacha (1990), directed by Suresh Krissna, as himself. It's safe to say that cricket fans had quite the discussion that year about the right-arm leg-spinner's surprise entry.
Internet's beloved Cheeka who was part of the Indian team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, made a memorable entry into films with the 2003 film Priyamana Thozhi. Kris Srikkanth made a cameo in the film, directed by Vikraman and headlined by Madhavan, which revolved around cricket and friendship.
Before his debut in cricket, Varun Chakravarthy played a small role in the 2014 film Jeeva starring Vishnu Vishal. Yes, you read that right. The sports film written and directed by Suseenthiran had the leg spin bowler play a DCI Club Cricketer. His film role became known to public after he became a sensation on the ground.
Following his stint as a successful off-spin bowler, Harbhajan Singh acted in two Tamil movies Friendship and Dikkilona in 2021. While the former was directed by John Paul Raj and Sham Surya and also starred Arjun and Losliya Mariyanesan, the latter was helmed Karthik Yogi and had Santhanam in the lead role.
Who can forget Indian cricket commentator, analyst and former player Irfan Pathan's role as a menacing villain Aslan Yilmaz in Vikram's Cobra. The 2022 film directed by Ajay Gnanamuthu starred an ensemble cast featuring Srinidhi Shetty, Roshan Mathew, Sarjano Khalid, Mirnalini Ravi, Miya George, KS Ravikumar, Anandaraj, Robo Shankar and Meenakshi Govindarajan.
Ace bowler Sreesanth took on the role of Mohammed Mobi, Khatija's (Samantha) boyfriend in Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal (2022), directed by Vignesh Shivan. The film starred Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Samantha in the lead roles alongside Prabhu, Kala Master, Redin Kingsley, Lollu Sabha Maaran and Shihan Hussaini.