In 2008, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted a never-before-seen T20 league, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore pitted against each other. After fourteen years, the tournament has established itself as the world’s most profitable league. Since its inception, the lucrative T20 competition has seen a slew of well-known names retire and a slew of lesser-known names make waves.
The IPL featured 11 Pakistan players in its inaugural season, but they were barred from participating in 2009 due to political tensions. Salman Butt, a former Pakistan captain who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, was one of the players from the neighbouring country.
Butt recalls his time with the Kolkata franchise and its owner Shahrukh Khan vividly, despite the fact that he only played seven games and scored a fifty. Butt recalled the Bollywood star lying on a kitbag in the locker room while the players relaxed on a sofa.
“All of the players received the Knight Riders helmet from Shahrukh Khan. It was a difficult one. Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla were among the owners present. They combined two of the world’s most popular industries, cricket and Bollywood “On Cricket Den’s YouTube channel, Butt said.
Apart from Butt, the KKR dugout included Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, and Mohammad Hafeez. “Because everything was under one roof, the launch was a huge success.” For us, it was a unique experience, and I recall meeting Shahrukh Khan in the dressing room. While the rest of the team sat on a sofa, chatting with the players, he was lying down on a kit bag.
“He’s laid-back and easygoing, and he looks after the players. There was nothing quite like having a boss “He went on to say that
The former Pakistan batsman also talked about how Shahrukh inspired the team after they lost their first few games. Butt claims that the actor gets along with everyone and has a down-to-earth demeanour.
