Mumbai, May 13: Dashing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) middle-order batsman Yusuf Pathan praised team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday, saying he played a big part in motivating him to do well in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Preview: KKR vs MI; IPL Special; Points Table; Fixtures
Speaking to Bengali daily Anandabazaar Patrika in an exclusive interview, the right-handed batsman said Shah Rukh Khan has taught him that to struggle in life doesn't mean that one has lost. "You are struggling because your good time is near," Khan told us, said Pathan in the interview. He recalled how the Bollywood supestar, who he called a "Saccha Insaan" (genuine person) stood by him during his dry form.
Pathan, who was speaking ahead of the KKR's crucial match against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday, said his team is looking to win both the remaining matches to finish in top 2 of the points table. The top two teams get a second chance to make the finals.
Thirty-two-year-old Pathan said KKR didn't need a player like Chris Gayle for he and hard-hitting batsman Andre Russel were enough to carry on the onslaught from both ends. He said the arrival of Russel has reduced the pressure on him to make the big hits.
Last year, Pathan smashed 72 off just 22 balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to give his team a memorable victory that took them in the top two of the table.
What happened from there is history.
Oneindia News