LBW: Love Beyond Wicket is an Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age sports drama television series written by Aruna Rakhee, directed by Ganesh Karthikeyan, and starring Vikranth, Niyathi Kadambi, Harish, Daffe Naveen, Gundu Karthik Sindhu Shyam, Smruthi Mohankumar and Ayaz Khan.[1] The series' story is based on Cricket coach Rangan and his students. It premiered on JioHotstar on January 1, 2026.[2]
Synopsis
This series follows a failed cricket player turned coach for the Muthu Nagar Cricket Academy team (Rangan). Rangan's journey along with students at the struggling academy, who unite to preserve a legacy while finding their own paths, forms the main plotline.
Cast
- Vikranth as Rangan
- Smruthi Mohankumar as Minister Tulasi
- Sindhu Shyam as Rukmini
- Daffe Naveen as Matheyan
- Akshatha as Theovathy
- Ayaz Khan as Manikandan
- Niyathi Kadambi as Thangam
- Nikhil Nair as Rishi
- Gundu Karthik as Pandu
- Vishwa Mithran as Veera
- Mohan Brat as Jackie
- Sikkandar Basha as Velu
- Jeeva Balchandran as Girish
- Mrudula as Anu
- Sneha Sakthi as Varsha
- Harishankar Narayanan as Rajashekhar
- Sowmya Sharon as Lara
- Kavya Amira as Padma
- Ram G as Vinay
Production
Development
The series was announced by JioHotstar under the banner of South UnBound on 9 December 2025.[3] The platform plans to launch nine new original shows in Tamil language.[4] This series was created as the first series of the Hotstar Specials lineup in 2026.[5]
The series is directed by Ganesh Karthikeyan, written by Aruna Rakhee and producer by A Tele Factory, who previously produced Chinna Thambi, Eeramana Rojave 2 and Heart Beat.[6]
Casting
Actor Vikranth play the a Cricket coach Rangan. This is his debut role in a limited series,[7] alongside Akshatha, Daffe Naveen, Niyathi Kadambi, Harish, Sindhu Shyam and Ayaz Khan.
Release
The first trailer was released under the banner of South UnBound on 9 December 2025.[8] The first promo was released on 17 December 2025 and revealed the releasing date.[9] On 22 December 2025, was releasing the series song. The series was released on 1 January 2026 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.[10]
References
- ↑ Vikranth on LBW- Love Beyond Wicket: 'LBW allowed me to explore my connection with cricket…'. Cinema Express(22 December 2025).
- ↑ Vikranth's LBW - Love Beyond Wicket gets OTT premiere date. Cinema Express(17 December 2025).
- ↑ JioHotstar South Unbound: 25 Titles Revealed for 2026. Deccan Chronicle(9 December 2025).
- ↑ JioHotstar Unveils South Indian Lineup Featuring Heartbeart Season 3, The Good Wife Season 2, Kaattaan Starring Vijay Sethupathi, and the Launch of Roadies in Telugu. Zoom (Indian TV channel)(9 December 2025).
- ↑ JioHotstar latest January 2026 releases: Vikranth's LBW-Love Beyond Wicket to Riteish Deshmukh's Bigg Boss Marathi Season 6. www.ottplay.com(22 December 2025).
- ↑ {{{title}}}. tamil.webdunia.com. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ {{{title}}}. Dinamani. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ LBW OTT release date: When and where to stream Vikranth’s cricket drama; trailer out. www.ottplay.com(17 December 2025).
- ↑ JioHotstar unveils promo for new Tamil series ‘LBW’. News Today(23 December 2025).
- ↑ Vikranth’s LBW to stream from Jan 1. DT Next(20 December 2025).
External links
Template:Disney+ Hotstar Tamil original programming [[Category:Television shows set in Tamil Nadu