Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya have tested their cricketing knowledge before - at the IPL auctions as team owners of the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively. But on Saturday the Bollywood star and the liquor baron tested their mettle on the field as they led their sides in a 10-over-a-team exhibition match.
Shah Rukh's KKR team included trainer Adrian le Roux, IPL CEO Sundar Raman, co-owner Jay Mehta and even tennis ace and Kolkata-native Leander Paes, who wasn't part of the playing XI but was in the squad. Mallya's RCB outfit comprised pilots from his Kingfisher Airlines, son Sidhartha Mallya and RCB coach Ray Jennings.
The two teams played in front of an empty Chinnaswamy stadium, barring of course a handful in the corporate boxes and the families of the teams involved. Mallya looked visibly tired after the effort even though for the most part he was standing at first slip, next to son Sidhartha, who donned the wicket-keeper's gloves. Mallya senior was huffing and puffing at the end of each over. The change of ends was the only time he moved from first slip, where he was stood with hands on his hips.
SRK came out to bat, but was kept at the non-striker's end as the teams batted like it was a Test. The actor did give a glimpse of his cricketing talent when he danced down the track to hit Jennings's gentle medium-pacer past mid-off for a four.
{{/usCountry}}SRK came out to bat, but was kept at the non-striker's end as the teams batted like it was a Test. The actor did give a glimpse of his cricketing talent when he danced down the track to hit Jennings's gentle medium-pacer past mid-off for a four.
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