‘I had no idea who Shah Rukh Khan was’ – Pat Cummins recalls his first interaction with KKR co-owner

Pat Cummins is one of the finest fast bowlers going around, and his record across formats is nothing but impressive. Thanks to his ability to create magic with the ball, the Australian pace spearhead has been a vital cog of his national team for the past few years. Alongside international cricket, Cummins has also been showing his prowess in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In fact, Cummins bagged a staggering contract of INR 15.5 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2020, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that time. It’s pretty evident that KKR’s co-owner Shah Rukh Khan would have been a fan of Cummins’ skills. The Aussie pacer also rose to the expectations and helped KKR with both and the ball.

In a recent interaction, the 28-year-old was asked to recall his first encounter with Shah Rukh Khan. With the Bollywood star being one of the most celebrated actors around the world, meeting him in person would be a dream for many. However, it wasn’t the case with Pat Cummins. In fact, the pacer said that he didn’t even know Shah Rukh upon his first meeting with the KKR co-owner.

I was like this guy seems cool, he’s got a real aura: Pat Cummins

“The first time I ever met Shah Rukh Khan, I had no idea who he was. I think I was 18 or 19 years old and I never watched a Bollywood film. I heard that Shah Rukh was the owner (of KKR). It was quite naive (first encounter with Khan). I didn’t think of many. I was like this guy seems cool, he’s got a real aura and has big security guards,” Cummins said while featuring in the Anubhav Jain Show.

The fast bowler further said that Shah Rukh allows the players to enjoy the game and never puts any pressure. “Last couple of seasons, he has not be able to get in the bubble but he helps on the zoom calls. In terms of the leader and owner of the team, you can’t ask for a better one because he only asks his players to enjoy the game and play with the freedom which is a rare thing” he added.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has confirmed that Cummins will not join KKR in the latter half of the IPL 2021, which will get underway in September. The tournament was suspended midway on May 4 due to the COVID-19 crisis, and the remaining matches will take place in UAE.