Italy’s cricket fairytale just got a Bollywood twist. Playing their first ever ICC tournament at the ongoing T20 World Cup, Italy stunned Nepal with a dominant 10-wicket victory on Thursday. The historic win in their Group C clash came in just their second game of the tournament and the celebrations were made even more special by the presence of veteran actor Kabir Bedi in the dressing room.
Kabir Bedi, whose career has spanned India, United States, Italy and other Western nations across film, television and theatre, is a familiar face in Europe. He is widely known in Italy for playing the fearless pirate Sandokan in a hit Italian TV miniseries. He also portrayed the villain Gobinda in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy and starred in The Black Corsair in 1976.
After the win, Italy Cricket president Simone Gambino couldn’t hide his excitement. “In Italy, they only know you — the Malaysian Tiger, Kabir Bedi,” he said, referring to Kabir Bedi’s iconic Sandokan role. Simone Gambino added confidently, “I would have never imagined this moment. But now we are going right back to Kolkata to shoot down England. We want to be in the semis.”
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Former Italian footballer Christian Vieri had earlier admitted that cricket is not widely followed in Italy but showed his knowledge of the sport. Mentioning legends like Viv Richards, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall, he called them “fenomena” and said he understands the game.
Stand-in captain Harry Manenti said Italy will bring a unique passion to cricket. For him, the journey is personal. “Not everyone gets this privilege to represent my family. My brother Ben Manenti is in the team with me,” he shared.
For Italy, this isn’t just a win. It’s the beginning of a bold new chapter.
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