Tamil actor Jiiva to play opening batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth in '83 

Well-known Tamil actor Jiiva is the latest addition to the cast of Kabir Khan’s ’83. He will play the character of batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, announced trade analyst Taran Adarsh. The film is based on Indian cricket team’s triumph in the 1983 World Cup under the leadership of captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev.

A known name down south, Jiiva has more than 35 films to his credit. He was also a part of the Hindi film David (2013), directed by Bejoy Nambiar. He played one of the three Davids in the film, alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh and Vikram.

Jiiva has already started training for his part. “I began training for the part last month. [Former Indian Cricketer] Balwinder [Singh] Sandhu had visited me here in Chennai to notice my batting form and see how well versed I was about cricket. Since I must pick up the nuances of batting correctly, I have been exchanging videos of my progress with [his team] regularly,” he said in a chat with tabloid Mid-Day.

He is also working on another film. "For this film, I am doing [outdoor] exercises instead of training in the gym, which is also aiding my prep for '83. I have a personal trainer who is helping me build my stamina. The workout routine is intense and there is a fair amount of cardiovascular training involved,” added Jiiva.

Srikkanth was a prolific opening batsman for team India back in the day. He was one of the earliest pinch-hitters of the game. In the 1983 World Cup, he opened the batting with the maestro Sunil Gavaskar, who was a different personality. While Srikkanth used to hammer the bowlers, Gavaskar used to bat in his usual subdued manner.

Srikkanth was the top scorer for India in the final against the mighty West Indies. He scored 38 in the low-scoring game. While chasing India’s total of 183 runs, the opponents fell short by 43 runs.

Ranveer Singh will essay the role of Dev and Punjabi actor Ammy Virk will play India’s pace bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu in the film.