Operation Safed Sagar & Cricket World Cup: Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble Reminisce About the Days During the Kargil War

Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar has sparked significant buzz online since its announcement and trailer were released. Now that it has been streaming on the OTT giant since Aug. 7, 2026. As India rallied behind the Men in Blue during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, a young air force squadron quietly made history. The newly dropped Netflix drama brings to life the untold story of the Golden Arrows.

Indian cricketers like Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, and other team members carried the nation’s hopes at the Cricket World Cup in England. It captured the attention of millions of Indians. While another team back home was answering a very different call, one that has never been told on this scale before. 

The Story of Operation Safed Sagar and the 1999 Cricket World Cup

Through Netflix’s “Operation Safed Sagar,” an extraordinary and unknown chapter has come to screen. One story unfolded before packed stadiums and television screens. The other unfolded in the skies, far from the spotlight. More than two decades later, the audience has got an opportunity to dive into history like never before. Reflecting on the summer of 1999 in a special video, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble reminisced about representing India at the Cricket World Cup while the Kargil War was unfolding back home. 

Sourav Ganguly shared that the summer of 1999 is something every Indian remembers. “While we were representing the country on the cricket field, our real heroes — the Indian Air Force officers — were representing India in the skies, under unimaginable circumstances. Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar brings this to the forefront in a powerful way, shining a light on an untold chapter of the Kargil War — one that every Indian should know and take pride in,” he further added.

On the other hand, Anil Kumble spoke about “Operation Safed Sagar,” which is indeed worth watching. He said, “We all remember the emotions of representing India during the 1999 World Cup, but Operation Safed Sagar reminds us that there were young air warriors who carried out an impossible mission, fearlessly answering the call of duty when it mattered most. It’s a story that deserves to be told, and the scale and authenticity with which Netflix has brought it to life makes it essential viewing for every Indian.“

Directed by Oni Sen, created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, the series stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, and Amrita Bagchi. High above the mountains of Kargil, some of India’s youngest fighter pilots were flying into impossible conditions as part of Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force’s historic aerial operation during the Kargil War. The Netflix drama tells the saga of the Golden Arrows Squadron, the young air warriors who took to the skies and marked a defining moment in India’s history as the world’s highest air operation. While the cricket team united the country on the field, Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar honours another team whose story has remained largely untold.