Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan admits he’s waiting to find out if the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) organisers are planning to have a mini auction before the fifth edition of the cricket series early next year.
“I’ve heard that there is a possibility of having one. Someone told me that the Kochi team’s owners are planning to dissolve the team. It may not be true. But if what I hear really happens, and there is an auction held, I’d like to have a couple of my old players back on my side,” he says with a smile, adding, “It would pinch any passionate team owner to see some of their former team members playing for a different side.”
Planning replacements?
His current Kolkata Knight Riders line-up has 20 boys as of now. Big names like Gautam Gambhir, Eoin Morgan, Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis and Yusuf Pathan are listed on the team’s official website.
When asked which one of these he’d like to replace if he had a chance, the actor responds, “None! They’ve all emerged as one strong team. They’re playing well in all kinds of combinations. I was very satisfied with their performance in the last IPL series. Even when representing individual teams at domestic or international tournaments, they’ve never been a letdown. They’ve been practicing and will continue to practice, whether there is a series on or not. We’ll decide if and when there is an auction.”
When asked which one of these he’d like to replace if he had a chance, the actor responds, “None! They’ve all emerged as one strong team. They’re playing well in all kinds of combinations. I was very satisfied with their performance in the last IPL series. Even when representing individual teams at domestic or international tournaments, they’ve never been a letdown. They’ve been practicing and will continue to practice, whether there is a series on or not. We’ll decide if and when there is an auction.”
The RA.One superhero, who visited Kolkata this week and met chief minister Mamta Bannerjee, plans to make time for cheering on his team from the stands whenever they play on their home grounds in West Bengal.
Khan, however, says, “We may need a lower order all-rounder because that spot, as we speak, is still empty. We can actually groom one of our own boys to take up that vacancy. Within the team, I can see immense scope in all 20 boys to occupy that spot in turns. So, with practice, I think we’d be good this season too.”