The 35-year-old actor has been a cricket fan since his childhood.
Does Daniel Radcliffe even require an introduction? Absolutely not! The English actor turns 35 years old today and has been a pop culture icon ever since he was just 12. Of course, it is all thanks to his portrayal of Harry Potter in the film franchise of the same name. And it's such a phenomenon that people recognize him as the character (as they say, "that Harry Potter actor") and not as him, the person. This is inarguably an achievement that one can only dream of!
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
It's the actor's 35th birthday today, and we simply cannot keep calm! And we celebrate this in our own style. In this article, let's learn an interesting fact about him that not even his biggest fans know!
Yes, you read it absolutely right! Radcliffe has been a cricket enthusiast ever since his childhood. It may come as a surprise to many that he had dreamt of playing for the English National Cricket Team before rising to fame with Harry Potter. And what's even more interesting is he is a die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar, widely hailed as the "God of Cricket".
Sachin Tendulkar – The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Speaking about his love for Tendulkar, the British actor shared in an interview back in 2011, "I am a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar. He is a legend. In fact, his is the first name that comes to my mind when I think of India! I wish to visit the country soon."
Back in 2007, Radcliffe went to see a test match between England and India at Lord's. He was already a global star at that time - thanks to films like 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets', 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban', and 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'.
It was the last match of the tournament, ending in a draw. Soon after the match was over, the actor met the English team first and then stood in the queue to get an autograph of his idol, Tendulkar. As he later shared in an interview, "I happened to see a Test match between England and India and queued up to get his autograph. I didn’t know what to get the autograph on, because all I had was my friend’s nine of diamonds playing card; I got that autographed and still have it pinned up in my room. It was an absolute delight to watch him play ... My friends and I were thrilled to meet him..."
Radcliffe with Emma Watson
Notably, in another interview, he spoke about his idea of India, saying, "I have heard and read a lot about India, especially Midnight’s Children, and would like to know more about the country. Indians are huge cricket fans, just like me. I wanted to visit India during the Cricket World Cup but got so caught up with my Broadway musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, that it left me with no time. But cricket or no cricket, I am certainly planning a trip to India soon."
It is worth noting that Radcliffe became a cricket fan after England received a 0-5 defeat by Australia in 2006-07. In his words, "Most people got into cricket when we won the Ashes; I got into it when we were beaten 5-0."
