Chetan Sakariya recalls his journey from watching Shah Rukh Khan to joining KKR in IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) latest acquisition, Chetan Sakariya, is eagerly anticipating a rendezvous with Bollywood icon and team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during the upcoming IPL 2024 season. The budding pacer, secured in the auction by KKR, is set to don the iconic purple and gold jersey next year. Sakariya expressed his enthusiasm about the prospect of playing under the leadership of KKR captain Shreyas Iyer.

“Really looking forward to meeting Shah Rukh sir. I have met mega stars like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in my life and it’s just a great opportunity to see them carry themselves in public and observe their demeanor. So I will be starstruck when I meet Shah Rukh sir and I don’t think I will have words for it. I have seen him from close quarters in the past when I was a net bowler for RCB in IPL in Sharjah. 

I was just in awe of the way he cheered for everyone in the nets and it’s a big occasion to witness a mega star from so close. Shreyas Bhai has a different aura about himself. He has a calm personality and remains pretty sorted. He knows exactly what his game is and backs himself and that’s what I admire about him. The team has always been balanced and this time, youngsters in the team like myself will need to step up. If we are able to do that then we will do really well in the IPL.”

It was an unfortunate injury for me: Chetan Sakariya

The young cricketer anticipates being rendered speechless in the presence of the charismatic actor, struggling to articulate the depth of his emotions. He also talked about his injury. As the IPL 2024 season approaches, Sakariya’s excitement is palpable, with the prospect of sharing the field with cricket stalwarts and rubbing shoulders with Bollywood royalty making it a season to remember for the talented pacer.

“Definitely any player who plays for India is an inspiration because each player has his own journey and struggles to reach the top and clinch the dream. So be it age factor or whatever, whenever I feel a bit low or a bit disappointed, I always look up to these players and push myself to keep working hard on my game and one day reach my goal.”

“(Stress fracture in back) It was an unfortunate injury for me and it happened at a really wrong time in my career. But I just kept telling myself that whatever happens, happens for good. In the past six months, I have had time to reflect and work on my fitness as well. So I have just looked at it from a different perspective instead of getting disheartened.”