8 cricket-based movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and more to watch if you're missing IPL season

If things had been normal in this cricket-crazed nation at this time of year, we would have all been cooped up inside our homes watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) on our television screens. The year 2020 though, had other plans for us. We are definitely homebound, but the sports extravaganza is a distant dream.

What we do have, on the other hand, is cinema. Hindi films have certainly celebrated cricket in all its glory through the years. Whether used as a setting for a rom-com, or to narrate the journey of a cricketer himself, the sport has consistently ruled the silver screen. So, bring out those blue jerseys and get ready to cheer for India once more with these cricket-based movies.

MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)

The tale of the former captain of the Indian cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was brought alive on celluloid by Sushant Singh Rajput in this biographical drama. Captain Cool’s personal journey from being a young boy obsessed with the game, to leading the national team to a World Cup victory in 2011, is depicted with an impassioned approach by director Neeraj Pandey.

Streaming on Disney + Hotstar

Azhar (2016)

The life of the Indian cricketer and former national team captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, was riddled with controversies—from an extra-marital affair to allegations of match-fixing. Emraan Hashmi, who portrayed his fall from grace and rise from the ashes, delivered a knockout film with his performance. While the movie did receive some criticism for glossing over some of the greyer areas of the cricketer’s life, it, nonetheless, made for an engaging watch.

Streaming on Netflix

Lagaan (2001)

The mother of all cricket films in India, Ashutosh Gowariker's magnum opus Lagaan was India’s official entry to the 2002 Oscars. While it lost the award to the Bosnian film No Man’s Land, back home, it won eight awards and many hearts. The Aamir Khan-starrer set in the Victorian period of India’s colonial British Raj, centred around a group of villagers who must defeat the British in a game of cricket in order to avoid paying triple the tax. Thoroughly entertaining, with some stunning locales and songs, Lagaan remains a masterpiece even after 19 years.

Streaming on Netflix

Iqbal (2005)

The sport may be a dominant factor in this Nagesh Kukunoor film, but Iqbal really is about achieving your dreams in the face of odds. A cricket-obsessed, hearing- and speech-impaired boy’s journey that concludes with him becoming a part of the Indian national cricket team, is a heart-warming underdog tale. A cameo by none other than Kapil Dev himself is the icing on the cake.  

Streaming on ZEE5

Patiala House (2011)

There are plenty reasons to watch this movie—it features an Indian wedding in London, a great deal of music and dance and, of course, cricket. The Akshay Kumar- and Anushka Sharma-starrer may be predictable at times, but is has its share of valiant performances by the cast and an entertaining plot.

Streaming on Netflix

Kai Po Che! (2013)

While the title is a phrase borrowed from kite-flying competitions, the three protagonists in the film dream of opening a cricket training academy. Set against the backdrop of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and Godhra train burning, Sushant Singh Rajput’s debut film was also about deep friendships and human triumph. There is something very likeable about this critically-acclaimed movie based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel, The 3 Mistakes of My Life.

Streaming on Netflix

Dil Bole Hadippa (2009)

A light-hearted tale of a young woman who wishes to be a part of an all-male cricket team, Dil Bole Hadippa counts as feel-good cinema. While it wasn't widely acclaimed critically, the movie was a box-office hit nonetheless. It has been adapted from the 2006 American film, She's the Man, and appreciated for Rani Mukerji’s spirited performance.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

The Zoya Factor (2019)

For a film that calls itself The Zoya Factor, it’s actually the Dulquer Salmaan factor that has really worked for the rom-com that features the sport as the backdrop. An adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel with the same name, the film uses the love for cricket in India to comment on superstition and the concept of luck in our society. The two-hour fifteen-minute feature makes for a light, frothy watch perfect for a Sunday night.

Streaming on Netflix