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Cricket fans are having a field day on social media after former Team India star Suresh Raina mistakenly referred to the iconic Shah Rukh Khan film “Chak De! India” as a cricket movie. The gaffe, made during a casual chat with WCL anchor Aditi Budhathoki, prompted a flurry of witty reactions, playful memes, and some pointed reminders from eagle-eyed fans who were quick to highlight the film’s true sporting focus.
Suresh Raina’s mix-up sets off internet frenzy
The incident occurred when Suresh Raina, engaged in a light-hearted Q&A, was asked to name three cricket-based films. Without batting an eye, Raina listed out MS Dhoni, Chake De and Lagaan.
The former Indian cricketer suggested “Chak De! India”—unaware, or perhaps forgetting for a moment, that the 2007 blockbuster actually told the story of the Indian women’s hockey team’s epic journey to World Cup glory. The movie, revered for Shah Rukh Khan’s powerful portrayal of coach Kabir Khan, has long been held up as a beacon for women’s sports and hockey rather than cricket.
Netizens turn jokesters: “And Dangal is Virat Kohli’s biopic!”
Moments after the clip hit social media, fans pounced on the slip-up with trademark Internet humour. Many poked fun by extending Raina’s logic, writing, “And Dangal must be Virat Kohli’s biopic!”—a tongue-in-cheek nod to another acclaimed sports film that chronicles the journey of champion wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat. Memes juxtaposing cricketers with scenes from popular sports movies began circulating widely. Some fans even quipped about making “Lagaan” a hockey epic or imagining Kohli wrestling his way through Dangal’s mudpits.
While most reactions were light-hearted, a few social media users used the moment to highlight how Bollywood’s portrayal of sports can blur boundaries in the public imagination, especially when it comes to underrepresented games like hockey. “If Raina, an international cricketer, can get this mixed up, what hope for the rest of us!” joked one user. The conversation also sparked some praise for “Chak De! India’s” impact on athletes beyond cricket, and for the visibility it brought to Indian women’s hockey.
Meanwhile, Raina remained in good spirits, seemingly unfazed by the gentle ribbing online. Some fans even defended him, chalking it up to a genuine slip or the overwhelming popularity cricket enjoys in India, where the lines between sports frequently blur in casual conversation.
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