‘Can’t wait to see you play my cover drive’: Sourav Ganguly endorses biopic ‘Dada’ starring Rajkumar Rao in lead role

MUMBAI: On his 54th birthday, former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly received a special surprise as the makers of his upcoming biopic, ‘Dada-The Sourav Ganguly Story,’ unveiled its first-look poster featuring actor RajKummar Rao.

Minutes after the poster was unveiled, Ganguly shared it on his social media and reacted to RajKummar Rao’s look. Calling it the “best gift ever,” he wrote, “The Best Gift Ever! Can’t wait to see you play my cover drive! @rajkummar_rao,”

Take a look

The Best Gift Ever! Can’t wait to see you play my cover drive! #RajkummarRao#Dada #DadaTheSouravGangulyStory #DadaFirstLook pic.twitter.com/TqHsWn2Eg8

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) July 8, 2026

The poster recreates one of the historic moments of Ganguly’s career, showing a shirtless RajKummar Rao waving his jersey from the Lord’s balcony after India’s famous NatWest Trophy win over England in 2002. Sharing the poster, the makers wrote, “Happy Birthday, our dearest Dada. @souravganguly #Dada #DadaTheSouravGangulyStory.”

The biographical sports drama will revolve around Dada’s journey from a young cricketer to one of India’s most successful captains. It will focus on his career, the challenges he faced, and the role he played in shaping a fearless Indian cricket team that inspired a new generation of players.

Sourav Ganguly, who is celebrating his 54th birthday today, is a veteran Indian cricketer with more than 18,000 international runs. Dada’s famous shirtless celebration occurred after India’s historic comeback victory against England in the 2002 NatWest Series Final. The gesture was a direct response to English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who had previously celebrated a series draw in Mumbai by taking off his own jersey on the field.

India chased down 326-run target in the final of the Natwest Tri-nation series in 2002 against the hosts England. The match was held at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. Mohammed Kaif (87 not out off 75 balls) and Yuvraj Singh (69 off 63 balls) were heroes of the match for India.

‘Dada-The Sourav Ganguly Story’ is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and stars RajKummar Rao in the lead role. The film is produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under Luv Films and is presented by Gulshan Kumar, Bhushan Kumar, T-Series and DBL. The film is set to hit theatres on May 14, 2027. (ANI)