Iqbal8217;s SRK fixation

Sitting in a five-star hotel room in Mumbai, Kolkata Knight Riders young left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla is excited as he shows a motivational message from team owner Shah Rukh Khan. 8220;Few years back when I was in Amzamgarh I never thought I would be interacting with such a big star. Cricket has given me so many things,8221; says the 19-year-old who shifted to Mumbai from remote UP to pursue his dream.

His phenomenal rise has seen him rub shoulders with Sachin Tendulkar as he represented Mumbai and now comes his close encounter with the Badshah of Bollywood. 8220;SRK is a very down-to-earth person. Once during a team meeting he came and sat next to me on the floor. I was shocked. I got up and offered him a chair but he said 8216;relax8217;,8221; says a starry-eyed Abdulla. In a season when cricket8217;s ruthless corporate culture has reared its ugly head, SRK8217;s easy-going demeanour stands out.

Not just Shahrukh, Abdulla also speaks about the way in which other members in the Knight Riders camp have made his stay in Kolkata memorable. He speaks about Shoaib Akhtar, who happens to be one of the popular players in the dressing room. 8220;The first day I saw Akhtarbhai bowl in the nets, I couldn8217;t see the ball. Whatever people say, he has been of big help to the youngsters in the team,8221; says Abdulla.