"He loves cricket and we enjoy the company" - Sanath Jayasuriya on meeting KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan
Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the first real superstars in the IPL, having played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) from 2008-2010. The swashbuckling left-hander was one of the shining lights even when MI used to underperform as a team in their initial years.
Bollywood has had a great association with the IPL as a number of stars have bought stakes in some of the franchises. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and is quite passionate about the game.
In a recent exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Sanath Jayasuriya spoke about his experience of meeting Shah Rukh Khan. He said:
"(On meeting Shah Rukh Khan) Nothing in particular, but I am a fan of his and he loves cricket and we enjoy the company."
Sanath Jayasuriya on his time with Mumbai Indians
Sanath Jayasuriya played 30 games for MI, scoring 772 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 145.11. He also has four half-centuries to his name and a blistering hundred against the Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural season that saw them win that game in a canter.
S Jayasuriya for MI
1st Century
1st M.O.M Award
Fastest 100 (45b)
Most 6s in an Inning (11)
Highest Individual Score (114*)
Most 6s in a Season (31)
1st to Score 500+ runs in a Season
Only player to Score 100 runs from Boundaries in an Inning
Happy Birthday Sanath Jayasuriya π https://t.co/Ek86ki2S1l
Jayasuriya was always a naturally aggressive player, but he was a senior player too in what looked like a relatively inexperienced MI team, especially when Sachin Tendulkar was out injured.
However, the former all-rounder spoke about how the team management backed him to play his natural game and go for his shots. He said that it helped him bring out his best for the franchise:
"They (MI) kept things simple and always asked me to play my natural game because that really helped me get a big score.
"Mumbai is my second home. Those three years, we played in and out and the team and the team owners are very good. They really look after all their players and it's like a family. It's really nice."
Given the quality all-rounder that Jayasuriya was, he would have been a top contender to become the costliest player sold in an IPL auction had he played in the current era.