[Watch] KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan lightens the mood in the dressing room after RR defeat
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan lifted the mood of the players and support staff with an inspiring dressing room speech after the agonizing defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
Batting first, KKR posted a massive 223/6 in 20 overs, thanks to a sparkling maiden T20 century by Sunil Narine. They continued to dominate proceedings for much of the second innings, with RR struggling at 121/6 in the 13th over.
However, an incredible flurry by Jos Buttler, who scored a century of his own, took Rajasthan over the line, much to the dismay of the KKR players.
After the game, Shah Rukh Khan, who was in attendance, addressed the team with inspiring words. He specifically requested mentor Gautam Gambhir not to take the defeat too hard.
"The main thing is the energy in all of us. And I think we have great energy on the field. We have lovely energy here. Personally also, everybody is bonding together. So please continue to. All the very best. Honestly, it's a proud day, the way we played. I think all of us, I won't take individual names, that's been taken. GG, you don't feel down. We would all be bouncing back. It is God's plan for today," Shah Rukh said.
Here is a video of the same:
The defeat meant KKR remained second on the points table with four wins in six outings.
It was also their first home loss this season after winning their opening two encounters at Eden Gardens against the SunRisers Hyderabad and the Lucknow Super Giants.
"Today, we didn't deserve to lose" - Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan continued encouraging the KKR players by asking them to maintain the high of this season and saying they did not deserve to lose the RR clash.
"There are days in our lives, in sports, especially, when we don't deserve to lose. And there are also days when we don't deserve to win. But there are days like that when things turn around. Today, we didn't deserve to lose, all of us played extremely well. We have to be very very proud of ourselves. Please don't feel sad or down. We feel happy as well when we come into the changing room and we are on a high. So maintain the high," Shah Rukh Khan said.
KKR now have a five-day break to recover from the tough defeat before taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next encounter on Sunday, April 21.