Bollywood Buzz Overshadows IPL 2026 as Sunil Gavaskar Struggles for Movie Tickets

Bollywood Film Dominates Conversations Ahead of IPL

The excitement for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is palpable, yet just six days before the tournament kicks off, the spotlight is on Aditya Dhar's latest film, 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', featuring Ranveer Singh. Even cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar is finding it difficult to secure tickets for this blockbuster, which has generated significant buzz since its release last week. The film is breaking box office records, and the demand for tickets is so high that even a 1983 World Cup champion like Gavaskar has resorted to reaching out to actors for assistance.

Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who plays a pivotal role in the two-part spy-action film, shared a video on Instagram detailing his encounter with Gavaskar. In the clip, Bedi reveals that Gavaskar expressed his ticket woes, prompting Bedi to seek help in arranging them. He stated, “Yesterday, I met the legendary Sunil Gavaskar ji. He mentioned, ‘Rakesh ji, I am not able to get the tickets. So please arrange it for me.’ I am trying to help him out,” he added.

'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' also stars Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, and Sanjay Dutt, and is on track to become one of the highest-grossing films in Bollywood history. Interestingly, the first part, 'Dhurandhar', already holds the record for the highest earnings.

Recently, players from the Gujarat Titans attended a screening of 'Dhurandhar 2' in Ahmedabad, and Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians, was spotted enjoying the film at a local multiplex.

In other news, Gavaskar recently stirred controversy by criticizing Kavya Maran's Sunrisers Leeds for acquiring Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed during the Hundred auction, given the strained relations between India and Pakistan. He urged IPL team owners to refrain from signing Pakistani players, citing the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam last year that resulted in 26 fatalities. In his column for a local publication, he stated, “Since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, Indian franchise owners have largely avoided Pakistani players in the IPL. The realization that payments to Pakistani players indirectly support their government, which funds arms and weapons, is leading Indian entities to reconsider their stance on Pakistani artists and athletes.” He questioned whether winning a tournament in a format unique to India is worth more than the lives of Indian citizens.