by Sandy Lovett

Cricket is one of the most popular and televised games around the world. In India, it’s something akin to a religion. But the game lends itself well to film and has featured in several award-winning movies. Let’s take a look at some dramas, humour flicks, and inspiring cricket movies that have touched the hearts and souls of film fans all over the world.

If you don’t know this sport well but are fascinated by it, you can familiarise yourself through watching these films. The betting jargon and purported strategies found on online cricket betting sites listings, will then make sense; further strengthening your betting arsenal through team research before placing any bets.

Hansie: A True Story (2008)

This feature film is based on the real-life story of Hansie Cronje, a former South African cricket team captain. Hansie: A True Story was directed by Regardt van den Bergh and produced in South Africa by Global Creative Studios. Viewers are taken through Cronje’s dazzling rise and meteoric fall due to a match-fixing scandal. It stunningly captures how the South African skipper was stripped of everything important in his life, including the support of his former teammates and country, as well as his painstaking fight back. Hansie Cronje’s brother, Frans produced the movie, while actor Frank Rautenbach features as Hansie.

Branded A Rebel – Cricket’s Forgotten Men

In late 1983, a team of 18 Caribbean cricket players made headlines after they’d travelled to an apartheid-ruled South Africa for a cricket match series. As the rest of the world frowned upon the South African government of the time, the match series attracted a lot of controversy. The cricket players were referred to as the 1983 rebel tour. Branded a Rebel follows the story of how these men made good money but faced a massive backlash from the international community. Players from the West Indies were all subsequently given a life ban. This film tells one of the most heart-wrenching stories of cricket players who, to this day, remain unforgiven.

MS Dhoni – The Untold Story (2016)

After Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni is probably the most loved Indian cricket player. He was also the most successful team captain. This biopic revolves around Dhoni’s journey and struggles while trying to become a cricketer, as well as achieving success and lifting the 2011 World Cup trophy. MS Dhoni – The Untold Story is one of the most successful films ever made about a cricket player’s life. Sushant Singh Rajput perfectly depicted MS Dhoni’s cricket playing style and overall demeanour.

Fire in Babylon (2010)

This British documentary film is about the West Indies 1970s and 1980s cricket team. The movie, which features interviews and file footage from former West Indies cricket players like Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd, Joel Garner, and Michael Holding was released in 2010 to rave reviews. Fire in Babylon follows the story of how the West Indies cricket team dominated international cricket for two decades. In that 20-year timespan, they won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979. The film was nominated for three awards and was the joint winner of the 2011 Jamaican Film Festival UNESCO award.

Out of the Ashes (2010)

Out of the Ashes is based on the Afghanistan cricket team’s journey to international cricket success. It’s one of the most remarkable cricket stories and documentary movies. Out of the Ashes touches on the team’s struggle on the pitch, as well as other heart-moving aspects. The movie also covers the story of Taj Malik—the first coach of the team and a man who is said to be the most enthusiastic cricket promoter in Afghanistan.

Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017)

Well, this one needs very little introduction. Sachin Tendulkar scored the highest number of runs in International cricket and is one of the greatest batsmen in the sport’s history. The movie follows the tale of a small boy who harboured a great dream of representing India in the international cricket arena. If you’ve watched this movie once, then you’ll want to watch it again. If you haven’t, your cricket life is incomplete.