Dulquer Salmaan, who made his Bollywood debut with Irrfan Khan-Mithila Palkar starrer Karwaan, will next be seen in Abhishek Sharma's The Zoya Factor and the actor has also begun prepping for his upcoming film. Yes, reportedly, the actor, who will be essaying the role of Nikhil Khoda (the captain of the Indian Cricket Team) in the film adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2008 novel The Zoya Factor, will hit the cricket pitch next week. On the other hand, Sonam Kapoor, who's the female lead in the film, has returned to the bay from her US vacation. She has also started prepping for the film; The actress has even started her reading sessions with Dulquer.

Talking about Dulquer's cricketing skills, a source from the film's production unit, in a statement to Mid-Day, revealed, "Dulquer is a better bowler than batsman in real-life, but he will be required to ace both acts for his role. Although the film rolls on August 28, the first schedule entails filming scenes featuring the leads. The cricket sequences will be shot in the months to come. So that will give Dulquer ample time to hone his cricketing skills."

While we wonder whether or not Dulquer be taking cues from the current or former Indian skippers, the source added, "It's too early for now. If at all, he may meet them at a later stage. For now, he will be trained by local coaches. The team is currently zeroing in on the best person for the job."

Meanwhile, Sonam, who is essaying the role of an advertising professional, met a few sports journalists (who have been covering Cricket for a while now) to understand the dynamics of the sport. Talking about it, the source said, "She met bloggers in the US who write about the sport. Though she plays an advertising professional, she wanted to understand the dynamics of the game. Her next step will be to meet advertising professionals."

Helmed by Abhishek Sharma and written by Neha Rakesh Sharma and Pradhuman Singh, The Zoya Factor will reportedly revolve around cricket woven into a rom-com that touches upon superstition and luck. The film, which will go on floors this August, is slated to release on April 5, 2019. Watch this space for further updates.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2018 10:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).