‘He’s a mystery, don’t know how he keeps going’: Robin Uthappa lauds KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan
In an interview to BBC on their Doosra podcast, Robin Uthappa lauded the actor Shah Rukh Khan for his immense energy and ability to lift up the team.
Shah Rukh Khan is regarded as one of the most popular actors on the planet. The Bollywood megastar, known by his initials SRK, became an integral member of the cricket fraternity when he invested in the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. In 2007, during the inaugural season of the tournament, KKR presented a mixture of Bollywood and cricket - like never seen before in the country, and Shah Rukh Khan was at the forefront of it all. The franchise, though got off to a poor star, finishing 6th in the first season, and then ending with a wooden spoon in the 2nd season.
In 2011, the franchise rolled in Gautam Gambhir as the captain and the fortunes started changing for KKR. In the next four years, KKR won the title twice under Gambhir. But throughout the entire rollercoaster ride, co-owner Shah Rukh remained a prominent figure during KKR matches at Eden Gardens and, to this day, has been often seen taking a frontal role in every success of the team.
In an interview to BBC on their Doosra podcast, Robin Uthappa lauded the actor for his immense energy and ability to lift up the team. In the interview, England cricketer-turned-commentator Isa Guha recalled a KKR party after they won in 2014 and said that she recalls Shah Rukh Khan was leading the dance floor.
In response, Uthappa, who was part of the KKR franchise when they won the titles in 2012 and 2014, said that the Bollywood actor is a mystery to him. “The man’s energy is kinda impetuous. He lifts everyone off the chairs and brings them on the dance floor. He’s a mystery to me,” he said.
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Uthappa further praised the KKR owner: “I don’t know how he keeps going. He gets four hours of sleep at night, I don’t know how he does it. But he’s amazing, he’s an amazing human being as well,” he said.
Former England captain David Gower, on Saturday, also recalled the experience of watching a match between KKR and KXIP with Shah Rukh Khan and said that that the actor comes across as an astute cricket fan and means serious business when it comes to leading from the front as a co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders.
