[Watch] "Beta, voh Shah Rukh Khan hai, itne lambe dialogue nahi bolta" - Shoaib Akhtar's witty response to a fan impersonating the Bollywood megastar
Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has had quite an association with India as a player and continues to forge an impression even long after hanging up his boots. From his memorable spell at the Eden Gardens to his iconic Indian Premier League (IPL) debut, the speedster is never quite far away from the neighboring nation.
Following Pakistan's miraculous progress into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022, the streets of the country reveled in joy and the former player just happened to capture a glimpse of it. He interacted with a few fans on the street as they hoarded around his car.
Several voiced their opinions about the current state of the Pakistani side, the positives, and the flaws, but one fan caught the former player's attention by claiming that he can mimic Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Upon the insistence of the former player, the fan began to re-enact Shah Rukh's dialog from the iconic 1999 film, Badshah. To his credit, the fan was not far away with his impression, but ultimately lost Akhtar's attention with his rather lengthy monolog.
The former pacer eventually halted the fan in his usual witty fashion by saying:
“Beta Shah Rukh Khan hai, itne lambe dialogue nahi bolta, (Boy, he is Shah Rukh Khan, he doesn’t say such a long dialogue).”
Akhtar's response drew a lot of laughs from the small crowd that was gathered around his car.
The video has gone viral on social media after garnering over 4 lakh views, with over 24000 people liking it.
Shoaib Akhtar played for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008
The inaugural edition of the cash-rich league allowed the participation of Pakistani players, which brought in a whole different dynamic. The speedster played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in three matches.
He won the Player of the Match award on his debut for his spell of 4-11 against the Delhi Daredevils (now renamed Delhi Capitals) at the Eden Gardens.
The spell led to an iconic image of Shah Rukh, one of the most involved franchise owners in the league, lifting Shoaib up during the post-match presentation. The Rawalpindi Express later told the Hindustan Times in 2020:
“When I took four wickets, everyone went mad. Even Shah Rukh was running all over the ground, he went mad and was delirious. I thought did I win the world cup, such was the frenzy all around. Shah Rukh said you have won a very big match for us.”
Pakistan will lock horns with New Zealand in the first T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final on Wednesday, November 9.
Is Shoaib Akhtar the most associated Pakistani player in India? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2022: "The next match is the biggest one for Rohit Sharma as captain" - Mohammad Kaif ahead of India-England semi-final