In his early years, Saqib Saleem played U-19 state-level cricket for Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, hoping to rise the ranks and find a place in the Indian cricket team. While that was not to be, he soon found his calling in acting. Call it a twist of fate or what you may, the actor will now be seen as part of the Indian cricket squad in Kabir Khan’s 83. Saleem, who steps into the shoes of then-vice captain Mohinder Amarnath, can’t contain his excitement about the coincidence.

“God knows if I would have ever been able to take centre-stage as a cricketer in real life. [While shooting for 83], I had these constant moments of déjà vu about the phase of my life that belonged to cricket. It felt nice to think about how acting brought me back to cricket,” he says.

Saleem plays a crucial part in the sports drama, which sees Ranveer Singh slip into the role of Kapil Dev and lead the Indian team to victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. After all, Amarnath aka Jimmy was declared the man of the match in the semi-final and final. Interestingly, Saleem has had the honour of working with the veteran cricketer earlier.

“In Dishoom [2016], he played my coach while I essayed the role of a batsman. For 83, he assumed the role of a real-life mentor as I played him. He is calm, composed and focused. I saw a different world of cricket through him.”