Sourav Ganguly's biopic linked to Leicestershire's 27-point pitch penalty

Dubai: Sourav Ganguly’s upcoming biopic has found an unlikely connection to the English County Championship, with an unscheduled Bollywood shoot at Leicestershire’s Grace Road cited during an investigation into a pitch that has left the club facing possible relegation.

Leicestershire were deducted 27 points after the Cricket Discipline Panel upheld a charge over a “poor” pitch during their August match against Glamorgan. The club is considering an appeal.

The movie is question is understood to have been for “Dada” which is biopic on Ganguly. The shoot took place four days before the match and prevented the pitch from being covered for eight hours in bright sunshine.

Leicestershire argued that the filming was a mitigating factor, but the regulator dismissed it as only one of several factors involved in the pitch preparation.

The panel found the surface suffered from uneven bounce caused by moving cracks, localised collapses, ball indentations and large clumps of grass. Match referee Ian Ramage recorded 43 examples of uneven bounce.

Leicestershire forfeited all 19 points earned from their victory and received an additional eight-point deduction and a £5,000 (Dh 24,567) fine. Another eight-point penalty has been suspended until the end of the 2027 season.

The decision leaves Leicestershire at the bottom of Division One and in serious relegation trouble.

The regulator said Leicestershire had not deliberately prepared a poor pitch but concluded that their approach was unreasonable and failed to meet the required standards.

The connection to Ganguly’s film comes as it prepares for its theatrical release on May 14, 2027, as per reports. Rajkummar Rao plays the former India captain.

 Its first look recreated Ganguly’s famous shirt-waving celebration at Lord’s after India’s 2002 NatWest Trophy victory.