Kolkata Cricket Team Naming Begins

 

 

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan appears to be a fan of TV series Knight Rider, (which made David ‘Baywatch’ Hasselhoff famous), as the Bollywood actor’s Kolkata team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be called either Night Riders or Knight Riders.

According to top sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the actor has registered both the titles for his team. “He wants to be doubly sure that he gets the title he wants,” a BCCI official familiar with the development said.

The IPL’s 44-day cricket bonanza will have a total of 59 T20 matches beginning April 18.

King Khan also seems to be on a great wicket with sponsors. According to sources, his company Red Chillies has received as many as 36 proposals for sponsorship. “Almost all brands associated with Shah Rukh want to piggyback on him to the cricket ground as well,” the official said. One of the largest telecom operators and an auto major are close to signing sponsorship deals, it is learnt.

The high-profile IPL has big daddies of India Inc, such as Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Malya and N Srinivasan. who own teams but sources say (K)Night Riders is the most sought after team by sponsors. “Rest in the fray like Reliance, Kingfisher, India Cements and GMR have industrial houses or brands to support. King Khan’s is the only team that doesn’t have industrial brand behind it. That makes it most attractive for sponsors,” an official said.

As has been reported earlier, actor Shah Rukh Khan, with Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta through their company Red Chillies, won the bid for the Kolkata team for $75.09 million.

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SRK Has His Eye On Gilchrist

 

Adam Gilchrist has become the most wanted player for the inaugural Indian Premier League with Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan lining up for the signature of the retiring Australian great for his Kolkata team, according to a newspaper report.

Khan, who bought the Kolkata franchisee for $ 85 million last month, has told former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who will skipper the team, to sign Gilchrist for the Twenty20 competition, which begins on April 18, Herald Sun reported.

Gilchrist is one of the 11 Australians who have signed an expression of interest for playing in the IPL.

With the sponsorship conflict between CA and IPL organisers lingering on and Australia having commitments in Pakistan in March-April, Gilchrist could be the only Aussie player available for the cash-rich tournament.

Technically, there is also a two-year moratorium on retired players joining a franchisee team but it is understood that Gilchrist’s playing in the IPL has become a mere formality after IPL organisers have hinted that they would waive the “cooling off” period in his case.

The report also claimed that Gilchrist can expect a base payment of $ 300,000, which could double or triple when the franchises bid for players, and he would be earning more in 44 days in the IPL than a full year of international action.

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SRK Talks About Cricket Team Plans

 

“He is one of the most stunning and wonderful players in the world. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are two players I am most impressed by. I love them for the human beings they are,” said Shah Rukh.

“I am very impressed by their commitment and by the way they play their cricket,” he said. “Even as everybody kept asking when they would retire, they keep playing so well.”

On whether he and his kids wanted Mumbai, Shah Rukh said: “I am happy that Mukesh has Mumbai. His team is mine and my team is his. We will all play in a friendly way. Maybe we will end in a tie, even then it will be our win.”

On what his Kolkata team and captain would like, Shah Rukh said: “I like Sourav, or for that matter all other players. As for the captain and the team, it will be up to the experts to decide on that. I will have a core team to do all and I will try and see as many matches as possible and encourage the sport more.”

Talking about his love for the sport, he added: “I am a brand ambassador for my country. We are not here for money, we are here for the sport.”

“I will support cricket and not promote cricket, otherwise people will say I am promoting my films,” said Shah Rukh.

Last year Shah Rukh was accused of turning up with the Indian team for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in order to promote his films. That was the time the film “Om Shanti Om” – where he stars – was about to be released.

“If you come to my house, you will see all kind of sports equipment and we (his family) keep on playing all kinds of sport,” Shah Rukh added.

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