Knight Riders' return to winning ways has prompted co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to sing a different tune
Knight Riders' return to winning ways has prompted co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to sing a different tune
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With his new-look team discovering a winning narrative, the Badshah of Bollywood feels his famous dialogue needs a bit of tweak too.
"Haar ke jeetne walon ko baazigar kehte hain (they call him a gambler who loses to win) ... I don't believe in this line anymore. We will change that now. Ham log jeetke aapne aap ko baazigar kahenge (We will win and call ourselves gamblers)," Shah Rukh Khan told the players at a party on Monday night to celebrate a rare win for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
KKR, a new look team following this year's fresh players' auction, defeated Deccan Chargers by nine runs at the Eden Gardens on Monday, their first win of the season in two matches.
The victory prompted Shah Rukh to throw a gala party for the players in the ITC Sonar Kolkata hotel and the franchise's principal owner rebutted some of the past criticism for the first time.
"My team has the capability to win the matches. They are fighters. They know how to fight as a team, they know how to handle a pressure situation. I am proud of them," Shah Rukh said.
"In the last three years my team faced some unnecessary controversies. People kept saying, 'I am giving lots of ideas in the dressings room', 'I am giving the players pep talk', etc. I say all that is false. I never said anything to the cricketers. In the dressing room, they are the boss. I always hugged them whether they lost or won a game," he added.
New captain Gautam Gambhir came in for particular praise. "Gautam knows how to lead the side. He leads from the front. I like his approach," Shah Rukh said.
Gambhir reciprocated the emotions. "It's a wonderful feeling to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders team. The fans here are fantastic. Myself and the team have taken it up as a challenge and we will try to win more at Eden," the Delhi batsman who played a crucial knock in India's World Cup win said.
Coach Dav Whatmore was obviously a relieved man. "It's always better to win. The players are very motivated."
The contributions of two local cricketers, Manoj Tiwary (30 not out) and Mumbai-based left arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla (3-24), did not go unnoticed. "With due respect to all, Manoj and Iqbal were the real heroes," Shah Rukh said.
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