Saiyami Kher is not just a cricket enthusiast, but also a cricketer who recently played the role of a bowler in Ghoomer. On the eve of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the actress did a special shoot for us in Mumbai, where she did what she loves the most – played cricket and talked about India’s historic run in the tournament.

She shared, “Before the 2011 final, I was nervous but this time I am not. I am excited. We have been the most dominant side. Every time we were challenged, we came out stronger. 10 games on the trot! This almost feels like the 2003 Australian side. Yes, we know what Australia can do in the finals but given the kind of cricket we have played in this entire tournament, we are a much more dominant side so let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope all goes well for one last time.”

While all of us have our plans in place for today, Saiyami's are star-studded. “I am going to watch the game with Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Parthiv Patel, Virender Sehwag. I couldn’t have asked for a better company. I have been starstruck by cricket and sportsmen since childhood. I can’t explain how special it feels to watch the game with them and talk about the games for a show with them. This is me living my childhood dream”, she chuckles.

Which Indian fan is not superstitious, right? Saiyami adds, “We feel our superstitions make India win or lose (laughs). My superstition is wearing the 2011 India WC winning jersey, which I wore at the Wankhede when India won the WC. I felt like Dhoni hit that six to me. I feel that jersey is the lucky charm for Team India. As far as don’ts are concerned, I don’t watch the match with certain friends. I feel we always lose if they are around. Or don’t sit on a particular chair or don’t let someone else hold the remote. The list is endless.”

While there have been so many iconic moments in this WC, Saiyani picks one too. She says, “Virat’s 50 in front of the master blaster (Sachin Tendulkar) was a very special moment, one for the decades. There couldn’t have been a better written script. Glenn Maxwell’s double century was one of the finest ODI innings, K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Shami have been so good, but I feel the highlight has been Rohit Sharma and the way he has played. He is destructive and derails the opposition. The intent and aggression he has shown, this brand of cricket, we haven’t seen before. His attitude as a batsman and the way he has captained the team has been commendable. Monday should be a national holiday once we win, and the boys deserve a break too. To get into a bilateral series immediately after the WC can be gruelling.”

The WC has had its share of controversies too but Saiyami concludes, “Controversies, conspiracy theories will always happen. Social media adds to it. Home advantage is bound to be there but using a different coin, manipulating the pitch etc, these things are absolute rubbish.”