When cricket and Bollywood worlds collide, it is bound to be a spectacle. But a promotional event at a busy shopping mall in Mumbai proved to be a lot more literal in its thrills than anyone thought. A light-hearted cricket banter between Australian Test captain and Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins and Bollywood sensation Janhvi Kapoor has set social media on fire—mostly because one of Janhvi’s power-hitting shots nearly destroyed a bystander’s smartphone.
The star-studded event was organised as a part of the high-octane promotional campaign for Janhvi’s much-awaited pan-India sports action drama Peddi. A mini-cricket faceoff was quickly pitched to the delight of the roaring crowd packed across multiple floors of the mall. Pat Cummins, who is famous across the world for breaking down world-class batting lineups, took the pitch and bowled a few deliveries to the actress gently.
A Near-Miss For A Photographer’s Phone
Janhvi, every inch the sports enthusiast, gripped her bat tightly and got a huge full-blooded shot off one of Cummins’ deliveries. The ball popped out of the middle of her bat, and flew straight for the thick mass of onlookers and paparazzi just outside the boundary lines.
Pat Cummins bowling to Janhvi Kapoor during an event 😂
He would’ve never imagined that after dominating batters for years, one day he’d be bowling to a Bollywood actress at an event 😭 pic.twitter.com/NTiMWGqnYH
— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) May 20, 2026
The shaky viral video of the moment shows the ball flying at a scary pace, missing a bystander’s recording smartphone by inches. The crowd fell silent in shock, then erupted into laughter and cheers. Actor and host Rannvijay Singha, present to anchor the energetic interaction, immediately rushed to diffuse the tension. In an adorable gesture that quickly went viral, Rannvijay retrieved the stray cricket ball and gifted it to the stunned photographer as a souvenir. And there was a role reversal as another popular video saw Rannvijay clean-bowling Cummins to deafening hooting and cheering from the Mumbai fans.
PAT CUMMINS PLAY CRICKET WITH JANHAVI KAPOOR & RANVIJAY SINGH 😍
– Cummins at Dlf mall Hydrebad for Peddi movie promotion 🫡 pic.twitter.com/WFICaSlCE3
— Sam (@cricsam02) May 20, 2026
Janhvi Kapoor’s Soft Yet Strong Avatar In Peddi
The cricket setup in the mall was not just a gimmick but a nod to the thematic elements of Peddi, which explores traditional wrestling and cricket of 1980s rural Andhra Pradesh. Excitement is at an all-time high with the spectacular trailer launch of the film in Mumbai on May 18.
Achiyyamma, opposite megastar Ram Charan, stars Janhvi Kapoor in the female lead. The trailer introduces her character in a gentle, personal way where Ram Charan’s character sweetly calls her ‘a star that fell from the sky’. We see she is naturally bright and warm and full of life, but the trailer also strongly suggests she has the emotional strength and resilience to carry the story.
Direction: Buchi Babu Sana. Music: Legendary AR Rahman’s musical score is soul-stirring. Peddi has a powerhouse supporting cast including Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyendu Sharma and Ravi Kishan with a special appearance by Boman Irani. Peddi is set for a grand multi-lingual theatrical release worldwide on June 4 with the premiere shows being locked in for June 3. Janhvi’s real-life batting prowess is something to go by and her on-screen act is sure to be a certified smash hit.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
