In 2024, Shah Rukh Khan and his IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), were on cloud nine after reaching the finals. The superstar made it a point to attend almost every match that season to support the players. Alongside SRK, Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta have continued to co-own the team since 2008.
So far, SRK’s team has won the IPL three times — in 2012, 2014, and 2024. After a decade-long wait since their last win, KKR fans finally saw their team lift the trophy again. However, there have also been seasons when Shah Rukh Khan’s team struggled to secure a strong position on the IPL leaderboard.
Shah Rukh Khan On His IPL Team KKR
In an interview (via BollywoodLife) in 2014, the Dunki star was asked if he ever scolded his KKR team players. In his answer, Shah Rukh Khan revealed the kind of advice people give him about his players. Some even suggested that he should take MS Dhoni into his team.
Shah Rukh Khan told TellyChakkar, “Except for at Wankhede, I haven’t yelled at people. In fact, in films, a lot of things happen, but I work with low composure and with love. And these players don’t lose on purpose. People have told me things like why are you asking a particular player to bowl or why don’t I take Dhoni in my team. Then I have to explain that he is with another team (Chennai Super Kings). I have heard from my mother-in-law how a team should be and also from the panwala from whom I buy cigarettes. All this used to make me angry; I used to sit in my sister’s room and watch TV as nobody comes there; have also shed my tears there.”
He added, “I’ve seen a big guy like Chris Gayle sitting and crying away under the shower after we lost. Yes, it was disturbing and I did get angry with people who told me what to do.”
In the same interview, Shah Rukh Khan was asked if he ever thought of bailing out of his IPL team. He answered that he would never leave KKR! The Pathaan star expressed that his team’s fortunes rise and fall alongside his own. The idea of leaving the team never occurred to him, stating firmly, “This is for keeps.”
Through every victory and setback, Shah Rukh Khan’s unwavering dedication to Kolkata Knight Riders remains clear. His passion for the game and genuine support for his players reflect why KKR isn’t just a team, but a family.
