Kolkata Knight Riders' batters Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer heaped praise on their franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan for lifting their spirits every time ahead of the game as they advanced to IPL 2024 final. Venkatesh Iyer reflected that the Bollywood superstar acts as a brother figure for them and motivates them consistently to deliver their best.
The Knight Riders reached the final for the 4th time as they brushed aside SunRisers Hyderabad on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium comfortably in Qualifier 1. After Mitchell Starc's new-ball burst kept the Orange Army to 159, Shreyas and Venkatesh struck explosive half-centuries to fashion an eight-wicket win.
Speaking in a video uploaded by IPL, Venkatesh feels SRK is a great human being and has been an equally amazing franchise owner.
"I think it speaks volumes of the man he is. We've always seen him on the screen mesmerizing people with his aura but to not just be an owner of the franchise but to be an elder brother figure for us. He guides us constantly. I think his pep talk had not just lifted me but the likes of Nitish Rana who was dealing with injuries. To come back from injury and perform is a big task. I think he's here and he won't be able to hear me, but he's a great great franchise owner."
"The attitude and approach automatically changes" - Shreyas Iyer
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, who hit the winning runs, attributed KKR's energetic attitude on the field to SRK lifting their spirits.
"His presence itself gets that zest in that team environment and the attitude and approach automatically changes. I think it's the perception over here and you see when the boys came on the field and everyone wanted to chip in with their contributions and everyone delivered at the right time."
The Knight Riders have a chance of lifting their 3rd IPL title.
