It seems whatever Shah Rukh Khan is touching in 2023 is turning into gold. King Khan, as he is popularly referred to by his die-hard fans, scripted history with his film, Pathaan, by collecting more than Rs. 1,000 crores at the box office globally. Pathaan became the most successful Hindi film ever despite widespread calls for a boycott by his detractors. Now, players from his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, are busy replicating their owner’s on-screen success on the cricket field. One man leading the job is Rinku Singh, who hit five consecutive sixes against Gujarat Titans on Sunday to pull off what appeared to be an impossible target. Buoyed by KKR’s two wins in as many matches, fans have now predicted that the year 2023 will belong to Shah Rukh Khan, implying that KKR was bound to win the title of the current edition of the IPL.
KKR needed 205 runs in 20 overs to beat Gujarat Titans on Sunday. They seemed on course to script an extraordinary win but Rashid Khan derailed their plans in the 17th over by claiming a spectacular hat-trick, reducing KKR to 155-7. Shah Rukh Khan’s team needed 29 runs in the last over to win the over with Rinku and Umesh Yadav holding the fort.
Rinku hit Yash Dayal of Gujarat Titans to five consecutive sixes as KKR achieved the target successfully, winning the match by three wickets. The victory left even cricketing greats such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag stunned. Shah Rukh’s daughter Suhana termed the result ‘unreal.’
But fans in general linked the KKR’s success to the global success of Pathaan.
Author Sanjay Jha wrote, “#KKR puts up a Pathan show. This is outstanding. #KKRvGT #RinkuSingh.”
User Himanshu Mistry tweeted, “Take it or leave it, its the year of #ShahRuhKhan after stupendous success of #Pathaan , the almighty’s blessing are on #SRK if all goes well #KKR can truly cross the rope & reach #IPLplayoffs.”
User Anupam wrote, “Tata IPL 2023, KKR is pulling of Blinders, PATHAN,s success is rubbing off on them too?” “2-2 back-to-back shock lag chuke usko 😂 Pathaan success fir aaj KKR victory 😂 waise hi zinda laaash ho gya hoga,” user Kabir tweeted.
User Mohammad Haider Raza wrote, “My sixth sense is saying that 2023 is going to be the great SRK’s year. It has already started with Pathaan’s success and SRK subsequently topping the Time100 poll list. And, even the KKR may lift the IPL trophy this year.”
With two wins in as three matches, KKR have climbed to second position in the points table.