On a recent episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix, comedian Kapil Sharma found himself defending a lighthearted comparison he made between cricket coach Amol Muzumdar and Shah Rukh Khan's character in the film Chak De! India. The episode featured members of the Indian women's cricket team, excluding Smriti Mandhana, alongside their coach, Amol Muzumdar, celebrating their recent ICC Women's ODI World Cup victory in 2025.
During the show, Kapil Sharma playfully complimented Amol Muzumdar on the World Cup win, drawing a parallel between him and Shah Rukh Khan's role as Kabir Khan, the coach of the Indian women's hockey team in Chak De! India. Sharma remarked, "Since you won the cricket World Cup, do you know that people are comparing you to Shah Rukh Khan from Chak De online? Seriously, sir. You are handsome too. Do you feel like Shah Rukh?".
Muzumdar responded modestly, "No, not like Chak De”. However, cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues playfully interjected, "He is lying; he even changed his name from Amol Muzumdar to Kabir Muzumdar," humorously suggesting that Muzumdar had embraced the comparison to Shah Rukh Khan's character.
The comedian's comparison, however, drew criticism from an X user who pointed out that Shah Rukh Khan's character in Chak De! India was inspired by hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi. The user posted, "Idiot @KapilSharmaK9 should know that the real hero was Mir Ranjan Negi not Kabir Khan the reel hero! I wish Amol Muzumdar had fact check this clown".
Kapil Sharma was quick to defend his statement, clarifying that he had only mentioned Shah Rukh Khan and that his comment was intended to be humorous. "Dear sir when did I say Kabir khan? I said Shahrukh khan, and it was in a humorous way, which you will never understand bcoz apka taansane to besura hai (your singing is out of tune) hahaha, anyways happy new year. Stay happy n spread happiness," Sharma responded on X.
An advocate also supported Sharma's statement, clarifying that Sharma had only made a reference to the film. Sharma reposted the advocate's comment, stating, “Yes my lord, that's what I wanted to say, who [can] explain it better than a lawyer, thank you".
Amol Muzumdar's journey to becoming the head coach of the Indian women's cricket team is one of perseverance and dedication. Born in Mumbai, Muzumdar was a highly regarded domestic cricketer. Despite an impressive record in first-class cricket, including scoring 260 runs on his Ranji Trophy debut, he never had the opportunity to play for the Indian national team. Muzumdar transitioned to coaching after retiring from competitive cricket in 2014. In October 2023, he was appointed as the head coach of the Indian women's cricket team. Under his leadership, the team went on to win their first-ever ICC Women's ODI World Cup in 2025.
