Cricket met Bollywood in Ahmedabad during the fifth T20I between India and South Africa, as Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube unintentionally recreated a scene straight out of Akshay Kumar’s Patiala House — only this time, reality didn’t offer a heroic twist.
The moment unfolded when Ottneil Baartman bowled a wide down the leg side to Shivam Dube. Dube swung and missed, briefly ball-watching, while Tilak Varma had already sprinted to the striker’s end in hope of stealing a bye. Realising the danger, Tilak desperately signalled Dube to get back into his crease before Quinton de Kock fired a sharp throw to Baartman at the bowler’s end.
Replays later confirmed that Dube grounded his bat first, leaving Tilak stranded and run out for a superb 73 off 42 balls, which included ten fours and one six.
The sequence instantly reminded fans of the iconic Patiala House moment where Andrew Symonds’ character survives after a dramatic check, allowing Akshay Kumar’s Gattu to script a fairy-tale ending. Except, this wasn’t a movie set — there was no background score, no slow-motion redemption, and no second chance.
In real cricket, the laws don’t care about sacrifice, intent, or cinematic parallels. One bat crossed the line first, and that was that.
Despite the unfortunate ending, Tilak’s innings at No. 3 was a standout effort, anchoring the middle overs before the bizarre run-out brought curtains down on his knock. As for the Patiala House comparison — Bollywood got its happy ending in 2011, but in 2025 Ahmedabad, cricket stayed brutally honest.
Sometimes, reel cricket forgives.
Real cricket just raises the finger.
