Why was Sunday so special for SRK?

The biggest cricket league of the country began with a bang for Kolkatans on Sunday, when home team KKR trumped Sunrisers Hyderbad to clinch a convincing win at the

Eden Gardens

. And as we savoured the on-field action, especially the moment when Shubman Gill sent birthday boy Shakib Al Hasan’s delivery flying over the boundary to seal his team’s win, a lot of drama was also unfolding in the stands.
The sight of the day was perhaps Shah Rukh Khan striking his signature arms-wide-open pose in the team’s corporate box after Shubman’s six brought home the match. SRK looked dapper in white tees, black trousers, a denim jacket and a pair of designer shades. Then came a smiling Juhi Chawla, who looked cool in a white T-shirt and beige trousers, and embraced SRK. The actress had also visited the Kalighat temple on Sunday morning and it seems her prayers had been answered.

Also celebrating with the duo was Usha Uthup, who has been a regular in the KKR box over the years. Speaking to us, she said, “I loved every moment of the match. It was nail-biting and there was a time when the opponents kept scoring without losing wickets. But I never gave up hope. I think the collective positivity at the Eden Gardens reflected in the match. It’s a magical ground.”

Also present in the team’s box was Pallabi Chatterjee, who was invited over by Juhi Chawla. “Juhi is a good friend and we go back a long way. I’ll also catch the next match at Edens on Wednesday. I loved watching Andre Russell hit the ball all over the ground. Juhi was a little worried at first, but I guess deep down, she was confident of a win.”
Throughout the match, SRK could be seen cheering on his Knights, clapping at the fall of every Sunriser and later celebrating every boundary struck by his players. He was up on his feet when Andre Russell, the big West Indian, tore into the rival attack, hitting towering sixes and umpteen fours. The only time King Khan looked a bit tense was when 13 runs were needed off the last over, but Subhman’s double sixes brought the smile back.

Actor Anindya Chatterjee, who was sitting in the box next to SRK’s, confessed that he spent most of the day watching the superstar. “I’m not really a sports person. But my girlfriend, Romi Datta, is a cricket fanatic. She arranged the passes and I tagged along. While everyone enjoyed the match, I kept staring at Shah Rukh. My day was made,” he told us with a smile.

Small-screen heartthrob Shaheb Chatterjee, however, went to Edens purely out of his love for cricket. “The last four overs were actually nail-biting and made all the difference. Before that, we never thought KKR would win. Andre Russell’s knock was mind-blowing! As I hardly get the time to watch cricket at the Edens now, yesterday was nostalgic for me,” he told us.
The team’s celebrations lasted late into the night at the hotel, with Man of the Match Russell cutting a celebratory cake. SRK later posted a tweet, saying, “Make sure they practise hard. Thanks for the support, KKR hai Taiyyar (sic).” and also a video of him encouraging the players.
The only thing missing was King Khan’s cool cartwheels. Maybe he’s saving them for later.