‘The best gift ever’ — Sourav Ganguly reacts as Rajkummar Rao’s first look from Dada drops on his birthday

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly expressed delight on Wednesday as actor Rajkummar Rao unveiled the first look of Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story on the occasion of the cricket legend’s 54th birthday, with the poster recreating one of Indian cricket’s most iconic images, the shirtless celebration at Lord’s from the 2002 NatWest Trophy final.

The first look shows Rao shirtless on the Lord’s Cricket Ground balcony, arms raised with the Indian tricolour unfurled behind him. The film’s title DADA is displayed in bold blue letters on the poster, with the tagline “He Didn’t Just Play The Game, He Changed It.” The biopic is confirmed for a May 14, 2027 theatrical release.

Ganguly, who turned 54 on Wednesday, could not contain his excitement on X.

‘The Best Gift Ever! Can’t wait to see you play my cover drive! #RajkummarRao,’ Ganguly wrote on X.

How Rajkummar Rao recreated Sourav Ganguly’s most iconic moment

In the 2002 NatWest Trophy final at Lord’s, a Ganguly-led India chased down England’s target of 325 to win by two wickets. With the team seemingly staring at defeat, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh scripted a famous recovery. Ganguly, overcome with emotion at the finish, took off his shirt and waved it from the Lord’s balcony in a moment that became one of cricket’s most enduring images.

Rajkummar Rao shared the first look on Instagram, writing: ‘Happy Birthday our dearest Dada.’ The biopic is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under Luv Films. Tanya Maniktala has been cast as Dona Ganguly.

As India’s captain between 1999 and 2005, Ganguly transformed the side’s approach to overseas cricket, guiding them to the 2003 ODI World Cup final and the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title. The Maharaja of Indian Cricket finished his career with 11,363 ODI runs and is remembered as one of the most influential captains in the country’s cricket history.

Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story, which reportedly went on floors in April 2026, is scheduled for theatrical release on May 14, 2027.