In a dramatic showdown at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owned by SRK pitted against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-voltage clash that left fans on the edge of their seats. Despite KKR posting an impressive 223 runs on the board, thanks to a scintillating century by all-rounder Sunil Narine-109 off 56, Jos Buttler’s classics for RR 107* off 60 snatched victory from KKR’s grasp on the last ball of the match. The defeat left the KKR players dejected and disheartened. 
But in a moment that will be etched in IPL history, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the owner cum face of KKR, stepped into the dressing room to rally his troops.
SRK’s Motivational Speech
“There are days in our lives, in sports especially, when we don’t deserve to lose,” Shah Rukh Khan began, his eyes locking onto each player in the room.
“And there are days also when we don’t deserve to win. But days are like that—they turn things around. I think today we didn’t deserve to lose. All of us played extremely well. We have to be very, very proud of ourselves. Please don’t feel sad or down. Feel as happy as we feel whenever we come to the changing room, and we are on a high—so maintain the high.”
The room hung on his every word. Shah Rukh’s charisma and passion reverberated through the walls. He continued, emphasizing the importance of team spirit and camaraderie, “The main thing is the energy in all of us. I think we have great energy on the field, we have lovely energy here, and personally, also, everybody is bonding together. So please continue to do so. All the best. Honestly, it was a very proud day, the way we all played. I won’t even take individual names—that’s been done. GG (Gautam Gambhir) don’t feel down. We would all be bouncing back. It’s God’s plan for today.
SRK ended his exhorting speech by saying, “As Rinku says, I think this is what we would like then. We’ll be back with more and better God’s plans. Thank you, everyone. God bless you all.”
“As King Khan says, we’re always proud of our Knights!” tweeted the official Kolkata Knight Riders account, sharing the emotional video.
#KnightsTV | Dressing room vlog ft Chandrakant Pandit
𝑾𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 💜 pic.twitter.com/6TYx9XWynR
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 17, 2024
The video of SRK’s pep talk quickly went viral on social media, with fans hailing it as reminiscent of his iconic role in the movie “Chak De! India.” The “Sattar minute” speech echoed in the hearts of KKR supporters, igniting hope and determination.
Though this is not the first experience of SRK pouring down love on to his cricket famili, Recently, when SRK reached the Kolkata airport with his daughter and young actress Suhana and his younger son Abram, the actor stunned his fans with his high security. Shah Rukh Khan ensures that players in his team feel valued. Often after the match, the actor meets and gets clicked with the players in the team.
KKR Remains in Playoffs Contention
Despite the heartbreaking loss, KKR remains firmly in contention for the IPL playoffs. Currently sitting at the second spot in the points table with 4 wins from 6 games, they are poised for a strong comeback. Their next challenge awaits them against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) again leaving fans expecting an El clasico as its Virat and Gambhir who are locking horns at the iconic Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 21.
With renewed motivation from their co-owner, KKR will be looking to bounce back, solidify their position in the tournament, and continue to make their fans proud. As the sun sets over Kolkata, the Knight Riders march forward, fueled by SRK’s words and the undying spirit of cricket.
