When Shah Rukh Khan called Shivam Mavi! Indian pacer recalls rewarding gesture from KKR owner

India pacer Shivam Mavi made his international debut last year during a series against Sri Lanka. Shivam Mavi has recalled a heartwarming gesture from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner and Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan ahead of his national debut.

Shivam Mavi was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team from IPL 2018 to 2022. He was picked by Gujarat Titans in the 2023 edition. However, the franchise did not play him in any match during their lead-up to the final. Gujarat Titans lost the final to Chennai Super Kings last season.

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Shah Rukh called me before India debut: Shivam Mavi

Since Shivam Mavi was part of KKR for five seasons, he spent a lot of time with KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan. During a podcast with Manjot Kalra on YouTube, Mavi recalled a heartwarming gesture from SRK.

He said the Bollywood star called him ahead of his India debut last year and had a personal conversation. The right-arm pacer also added that Shah Rukh Khan has given him his contact number.

“He (Shah Rukh Khan) is very helpful. He has given me his contact number and said I can contact him anytime. I received a phone call from him ahead of my India debut as well. The franchise is a different thing, but it was a personal conversation. I felt really good after that,” the 25-year-old pacer said.

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Shah Rukh Khan is a legend: Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi also recollected how the KKR owner cheered the team and boosted their confidence after they lost a match against Chennai Super Kings.

“He is a legend. KKR had lost a match against CSK. Both Shubman Gill and I were not part of the playing XI for the game. We were sitting in the dressing room. He came into the dressing room and told us to cheer up”.

“He said that winning or losing is fine; the happiness of the players is the most important. When an owner does something like this, it is a great confidence booster for the players,” added Mavi.

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Mavi picked by Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2024

Notably, Shivam Mavi was picked by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2024 auction for Rs. 6.40 crore against his base price of Rs. 50 lakh. He last played a T20I match against New Zealand in February last year after making his debut in January against Sri Lanka. In 6 T20I games,

Mavi has hunted 7 wickets averaging 7.57 including a 4-wicket haul in one match. Across 32 games in IPL since the 2018 season, he has hunted 30 scalps at an average of 31.40. He did not play a single game in the last IPL season but is expected to play a huge role for LSG in IPL 2024.