Actor Pankaj Tripathi says he was never drawn to cricket, but after working on Kabir Khan's upcoming directorial '83', he can't get the spirit of the game out of his system.

The film will narrate the story of Indian cricket team's victory in the World Cup final in 1983. Pankaj plays Man Singh, manager of the Indian cricket team back then.

"You'd think who doesn't like cricket in India? Well I didn't but I was drawn in by the game when I started shooting this film. Everyday I would see these boys Ranveer (Singh), Saqib (Saleem), Tahir (Raj Bhasin) and others working so hard. They were being trained by the legends of the sport," said Pankaj.

"It was at the boot camp when I interacted with the players of the original team that I was in awe. When I said yes to the film, it was because the story resonated with me. A team that no one had any hopes from went on to win laurels for the country. It is the spirit of the story I couldn't shake off and now it's also the spirit of the game I can't get out of my system. Now I have started watching matches and India's recent victory makes me personally proud and happy," he added.