Indian cinema star Ram Charan found himself at the centre of social media chatter after a light-hearted moment involving Indian cricket stars went viral during the grand music launch event of Peddi in Bhopal. The actor, who attended the event alongside Janhvi Kapoor and A. R. Rahman, interacted with the media and shared his thoughts on several Indian cricketers in a rapid-fire style conversation.
While fans initially enjoyed his candid responses, one particular comment soon sparked a wave of reactions online, forcing the actor to later issue a public apology to Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Ram Charan’s mix-up leaves fans amused
During the interaction, Ram was asked to describe some of India’s biggest cricket personalities in a few words. He referred to Sachin Tendulkar as a “long legendary run”, called MS Dhoni “calm and cool”, labelled Virat Kohli as “fire”, and described Rohit Sharma as “everybody’s man”.
However, things took an unexpected turn when Bumrah’s name came up. In a moment of confusion, the actor mistakenly associated the Indian pacer with football instead of cricket.
“Jasprit Bumrah ji, I am your biggest fan. I love football and football ko itne aage bada rahe ho. Love you, sir,” Ram said at the event.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, where fans reacted with humour and disbelief. Memes flooded the internet within hours, with users jokingly imagining Bumrah as a football superstar instead of one of the world’s premier fast bowlers.
Star actor issues public apology to Jasprit Bumrah
As the video continued to gain traction online, Ram addressed the incident through a post on X. The actor admitted that the mistake happened unintentionally amid the excitement of the crowded event.
“Uff… I’m genuinely so forgetful with names sometimes. Apologies to @Jaspritbumrah93 Ji for the mix-up – it was a genuine human error in the middle of all the excitement and the crowd,” he wrote.
Uff… I’m genuinely so forgetful with names sometimes.
Apologies to @Jaspritbumrah93 Ji for the mix-up – it was a genuine human error in the middle of all the excitement and the crowd 🙏🏼
I truly respect you and I am a huge fan of your game. You make every Indian feel proud when…
— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) May 23, 2026
The apology received mixed reactions online. While many users appreciated the actor for owning up to the mistake, others continued to poke fun at the viral moment. Several cricket fans also defended Ram Charan, calling it an innocent slip-up rather than something serious.
Bumrah’s difficult IPL 2026 campaign
The viral episode comes at a time when Bumrah himself has endured a forgettable season on the cricket field. Representing Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, the star pacer struggled badly throughout the tournament. Widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in modern cricket, Bumrah managed to claim only four wickets in 13 matches during the campaign.
His performances failed to match the lofty standards he has set over the years for both India and Mumbai Indians. Adding to the disappointment, Bumrah ended the season with a bowling average of 102.50. The figure resulted in an unwanted record, as he became the first bowler in T20 history to average more than 100 in a single tournament after bowling 40 or more overs.
