SRK hopes to win over fans with IPL triumph

Shah Rukh Khan, the principal owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, hopes that winning the Indian Premier League would help him win over the Kolkata fans who have been upset over the team's parting ways with Sourav Ganguly.

"One of my desires has been to win the IPL for this city. I'll be happy if I can achieve this," the Bollywood superstar said on Saturday after Gautam Gambhir's side beat Chennai in a rain-curtailed match at the Eden Gardens.


KKR principal owner Shah Rukh Khan. Pic/AFP

"We respect the emotions of the city. We still play for Dada... We would have loved him (Ganguly) to be our mentor.

"But I am a son of India. As a son of the soil, I belong to every city. The fans will all love me if I win it (the title) for the city."

The Knights struggled in the previous three editions of the IPL but have been hot contenders for the title along with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings this year.

Shah Rukh said that the calm temperament brought to the team by the seasoned players and the support staff headed by coach Dav Whatmore has made the difference between winning and losing.

"I thank the boys for putting up a good show. They are really playing well, especially the way the youngsters are performing and the way they have been carried along by the seniors is really magnificent.

"The team is cool and calm. Gautam (Gambhir), (Jacques) Kallis and (Yusuf) Pathan bring a lot of calm to the side.

"The juniors have complemented the seniors. (Coach) Dav (Whatmore) and the support staff are responsible for this turnaround. We are not taking any tension and believe in performance."

He also said the team wasn't thinking about the play-off stage or winning the title yet.