Balvinder Singh Sandhu, member of India’s 1983 winning cricket team, is coaching Kabir Khan’s players
Natasha Countinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 15, 2019)

Kabir Khan’s sports drama, 83, based on India’s World Cup cricket win, flags off in mid-May with Ranveer Singh stepping into the shoes of then skipper, all-rounder Kapil Dev. Veteran cricketer Balvinder Singh Sandhu, who was part of the winning team, has been training Ranveer and his onscreen teammates over the last few months, and is all praise for the actor. “Ranveer is a cricket crazy guy, with a good batting technique evident on the first day itself. His bowling was a little rusty, but after three-four days he was running well and executing the action required,” the former fast bowler raves. “We are working on improving his technique to make him look like Kapil Dev and not Ranveer Singh.”

Prod him on the prep and he informs that they practise two cricketing shots every day. “Ranveer was supposed to train for an hour a day, but high on energy and keen to learn, he stays back for two-and-half-hours. He has been busy the past few days, but will resume training in the coming week,” he informs.

They begin shooting around May 15 in London and Scotland. It’s a 100-day schedule, and towards March-end they will have a 10-day bonding and training session in Dharamshala. They will also train in Mumbai for a week. “I treat all the actors like actual cricketers and follow the same techniques that I do at the National Cricket Academy,” says the coach who is currently in Patiala training Ammy Virk who plays him on screen.

Virk says he’s 95 per cent ready and trying hard to get his cricket right to make his Sandhu believable. “I’m looking forward to getting to know Ranveer better during the training sessions. Since we will all be living together for three-four months, it’s important to know each other. Sandhu sir will be on the sets all the time which will make my work easier,” he says with relief.

Sandhu himself is also happy with the progress of the other actors. Jiiva who plays Krishnamachari Srikanth, has his manager, a cricketer himself, helping him with his technique while Chirag Patil who plays his cricketer-father Sandeep Patil, has been hitting the ball well. “Kabir Khan is the actual captain of this team, friendly, open to suggestions and very patient,” he smiles.

Flashbacking to the memorable final in ’83 when India took on West Indies at Lord’s, Sandhu says getting the first wicket of Gordon Greenidge was the big high. “That gave us hope that we could win the Cup.”