Kolkata Knight Riders team owner Shah Rukh Khan© X (formerly Twitter)
Fast bowler Shivam Mavi, who was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2018 to 2022, revealed a heartwarming gesture from team owner and famous actor Shah Rukh Khan. In a podcast with Manjot Kalra, Mavi said that he received a personal call from SRK just ahead of his debut for the national team in 2023. He played his first T20I for India against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Mavi said that SRK had previously given him his personal contact number and ahead of his debut, the actor called him to wish him luck on the occasion.
“He (Shah Rukh Khan) is very helpful. He has given me his contact number and said I can contact him anytime. I received a phone call from him ahead of my India debut as well. The franchise is a different thing, but it was a personal conversation. I felt really good after that,” Mavi said.
Mavi also recalled how SRK motivated the entire KKR team after a loss against Chennai Super Kings.
“He is a legend. KKR had lost a match against CSK. Both Shubman Gill and I were not part of the playing XI for the game. We were sitting in the dressing room. He (Shah Rukh Khan) came into the dressing room and told us to cheer up.”
“He said that winning or losing is fine; the happiness of the players is the most important. When an owner does something like this, it is a great confidence booster for the players,” he added.
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