Cheteshwar Pujara Shares Memorable Encounter with Shah Rukh Khan During IPL Days
Pujara's Fanboy Moment with SRK
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 7: Cheteshwar Pujara, the former Indian cricketer, reminisced about his encounter with Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), during his time with the franchise. He described the moment as a true 'fanboy experience'.
During an episode of JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles', Pujara reflected on his IPL journey with KKR in the 2009/10 season, where he accumulated 122 runs across six innings, averaging 30.50 with a strike rate of 106.08, and achieving a top score of 45*.
While he cherished the moment with SRK, Pujara emphasized the importance of the franchise's environment, the chance to learn from seasoned players, and his overall development as a cricketer during his brief IPL tenure, which later helped him establish himself as a red-ball specialist.
"I began my career with KKR, and meeting Shah Rukh Khan was indeed a fanboy moment for me. However, my focus was on the franchise's atmosphere, the learning opportunities from legendary players, and enhancing my skills. That’s what truly mattered," Pujara stated.
Throughout his IPL career from 2009 to 2014, Pujara played 30 matches, scoring 390 runs in 22 innings at an average of 20.52 and a strike rate of 99.74, including one half-century. He also represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in subsequent seasons and was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad that won the IPL in 2021, despite not playing any matches.
Reflecting on his time with CSK, Pujara shared a humorous anecdote about Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood, who jokingly declined to bowl to him in the nets after their intense battles during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018 and 2021, where Pujara played a pivotal role in India's victories.
"In the 2018 and 2021 series against Australia, I faced Josh Hazlewood extensively. When I joined CSK, he humorously refused to bowl to me in the nets, claiming he had already bowled enough to me in the previous months. Although he was joking, he genuinely didn’t bowl to me," Pujara recalled.
Pujara announced his retirement from international cricket last year, having scored 7,195 runs in 103 Tests for India at an average of 43.60, including 19 centuries and 35 fifties. He also played five ODIs, accumulating 51 runs.