Shah Rukh Khan, the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and a big Bollywood star, caught up with his team on Friday before they play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their first match of the IPL 2025 season.
In a video shared by KKR on social media, Shah Rukh greeted the players in the dressing room, saying, “God bless you all. Stay healthy and happy. Thanks, Chandu sir, for taking care of them. Welcome to the new members. Ajinkya, it’s great to have you as our captain. I hope you find a good home here and do well with us. Enjoy the match and keep healthy.” The video quickly gained popularity online. KKR captioned it, “King Khan ka pyaar, Knights ke naam,” which means “King Khan’s love for the knights.”
𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐚 𝐩𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐫, 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐦 💜 pic.twitter.com/mx2EkNHLdT
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 22, 2025
Shah Rukh arrived in Kolkata on Friday evening and is expected to be at the IPL 2025 opening ceremony on Saturday at Eden Gardens. The ceremony will feature performances from stars like Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani and is set for 6 PM IST, but rain could be an issue.
There was light rain on Friday night that ended KKR and RCB’s practice sessions early. They started at 5 PM IST, but by 6 PM IST, the rain hit, and the players had to wrap up. Luckily, Eden Gardens has good ground covers, which helped keep the field in shape.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Friday and Saturday due to thunderstorms, strong winds, and rain in several areas, including Kolkata. The forecast for Saturday also mentions thunderstorms and rain in multiple districts. The match starts at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss at 7 PM IST.
