'Shah Rukh Treated Us Like Family At KKR'

'For him, win or defeat never mattered, he always told us to give our best and never worry about the results.'

Shah Rukh Khan, the Badshah of Bollywood, celebrates a landmark 60th birthday on November 2, 2025.

Former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was one of Shah Rukh's favourite players when he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders for seven seasons in a row -- from 2011 to 2017.

Impressed by Pathan's swashbuckling batting performances for India and the Rajasthan Royals, Shah Rukh made sure KKR went all out for the big-hitting Baroda batter at the IPL 2011 auction.

KKR paid a whopping $2.1 million to acquire Pathan -- the second most expensive player at the IPL 2011 auction after Gautam Gambhir, who was also bought by KKR for $2.4 million.

Pathan repaid SRK's faith in full as he proved to be a crucial player for KKR and was integral in their two IPL title triumphs in 2012 and 2014.

For Pathan, meeting Shah Rukh Khan, interacting with him up close and seeing his magnanimous personality off screen was a memorable experience.

"He would sit with the players after the match, spend time with them, make them feel comfortable," Yusuf Pathan tells Rediff's Harish Kotian.

'SRK never behaved like he was the owner'

It was a great experience playing for KKR, I enjoyed a lot, and achieved a lot at the club. I want to specially talk about the fan following of KKR, it is a dream come true for any player to play in front of such passionate fans at the historic Eden Gardens. To get so much love as a KKR player was really heartening. So there are some amazing memories.

And the most special memories are winning the two IPL titles in the seven years I played there. So it was quite special playing for KKR.

Shah Rukh was like the elder brother for us, he treated us like family at KKR. He never behaved like he was the owner. He is a big personality, he has achieved so much, he is loved by everyone.

Whenever he came for the matches, he came there like a team member, like a friend. The way he spoke it was very motivating.

Shah Rukh is someone who has come up the hard way, he has seen a lot of struggles in his early days. He used to talk about his journey sometimes.

For him, win or defeat never mattered, he always told us to give our best and never worry about the results. He wanted us to entertain the fans.

Even after we lost a game, he would still come and see us, he would praise the players who performed well and tried to motivate the players who were not able to perform well.

He would sit with the players after the match, spend time with them, make them feel comfortable.

We felt he was the elder brother in the family, that is how he treated us players.

He is full of energy. He can cheer up someone quickly and make them feel positive. That is the effect he had on everyone.

'SRK made sure that KKR bought me at the auction'

I shared a very good bonding with Shah Rukh. I met him for the first time during the T20 World Cup in 2007 when he had come down to South Africa to watch the matches. He appreciated my performances in the World Cup.

Then in 2011 he wanted me to play for KKR which happened after that in 2012 we won the first IPL title.

It was a proud moment for me that a great man like Shah Rukh personally wanted me to play for his team and he made sure that KKR bought me at the auction.

Those seven years were memorable for me, he took great care of me.

I played for three franchises during my IPL career, but the team which I most played for was KKR, which shows how much I loved the franchise.

I hit my fastest fifty for KKR and my fastest century was for Rajasthan Royals, where I played the first three seasons, there also I got a lot of love, we won the first season of IPL in 2008.

Shah Rukh was a different kind of a boss. A player's performance will never be on the same level, sometimes they will perform well, sometimes they will struggle.

But Shah Rukh never put undue pressure, he always kept encouraging his players.

The best part was that he treated every player equally at KKR, whether it was a big international star or a domestic player, for him every player was the same. That is why KKR players loved him.

He has such a fan following everywhere. When he came for the matches at Eden Gardens, the fans used to love it. He had such a great connect with the fans.

'This is the era of Shah Rukh Khan'

I remember Shah Rukh organised such grand parties whether it was at his home in Mumbai or whenever we were travelling for the matches. Even when we lost matches, he treated us to wonderful parties. He was a wonderful host.

I remember at those parties, he made everyone feel at home, he used to speak everyone and give them so much love.

Meeting Shah Rukh, talking to him, getting to know him so closely will always be memorable.

He is so humble, so down to earth, such a wonderful human being. He knows how to make friends and treat people well.

The people who work for him, for his company, he is very friendly and cordial with them. He treats them with so much respect. That is why he is loved by everyone.

I love all Shah Rukh movies. I can watch all his movies again and again. I can't pick one because I enjoy all his movies.

On his 60th birthday, I pray for his happiness, health and well being. Even today you can see him working hard, making wonderful movies to entertain his fans.

When my father was young, you had the legendary Dilip Kumar's era, people were crazy for him, my father was also a big fan of his.

Similarly, I feel today's times belongs to Shah Rukh. This is the era of Shah Rukh Khan and I wish it continues for a long time.