The Telegraph had dates two days in a row with Kolkata Knight Riders — first at Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) and then ITC Sonar. With the Knights all set to wrap up the league stage with their last home tie on Saturday against Lucknow Super Giants, Jason Roy, Lockie Ferguson, Ryan ten Doeschate, Narayan Jagadeesan, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and David Wiese, looked back at the season, playing in Calcutta and meeting Shah Rukh Khan, exclusively with The Telegraph.
Ryan ten Doeschate, former Knight and now fielding coach, with Jason Roy. “I am having a stinker, but it is nice to spend some time with the boys,” he said
Soaking up the sights and sounds of Kolkata...
Jason Roy: (It’s) hard to say. We have been travelling so much that all of our focus has been on our cricket. We have run a tight ship in Calcutta, training’s been heavily on the priorities... but it’s been enjoyable. That’s the thing with franchise cricket, you get to meet these people all the time, new teammates. I have really enjoyed my time here. We haven’t been able to get out a huge amount. We have played a bit of golf obviously and we have gone to a couple local (places), but not a huge amount. We have been lucky that we have such amazing hotels. The Indian food at Peshawri (ITC Sonar) was delicious.
Lockie Ferguson: We haven’t really been out of the hotel too much. Just the golf course. We did go out in Chennai to one of our coach’s good friend’s cafe for breakfast. It was a South Indianstyle breakfast with dosas, which was nice. It’s nice to be back where all the fans are in Calcutta, playing in front of big crowds. That has been exciting.
Ferguson and Narayan Jagadeesan at the greens. “It is very hot and we are only halfway through. So, it’s all even. It’s going to be an exciting last nine,” said New Zealand fast bowler, Lockie.
Ryan ten Doeschate: Same as the boys, we have been really busy. My family has been here for 10 days. I went to Mocambo for dinner and took the kids to Science City and went to the steam Railway Museum and the Mother House, but yeah, it’s mostly been around the hotel. Narayan Jagadeesan: Since we play a lot of domestic cricket, we do travel to Calcutta. I have been here before but this is probably the first time I have been here for such a long period. But it’s been fun. We play a lot of cricket, but we don’t get to go out. And, we play one home and one away, so we keep travelling. Golf is something we all enjoy. This for us means to come out, enjoy and relax and spend time with the boys.
Tim Southee: It’s been great and fun. It’s been nice to be outside the bubble. The highlight has been for the first time in two or three years, (we are) out of the bubble, and exploring a bit more of India and playing in front of a full stadium. It’s been hectic playing and travelling. There’s been a little bit of golf in between. Eden Gardens is an amazing stadium. I have been fortunate to play here a number of times, but playing for Kolkata (Knight Riders) is a different feeling in itself. I am seeing how amazing the fans are... sold-out stadiums. Every time I have played here, it’s been amazing.
Vaibhav Arora: I haven’t been anywhere...
Tim Southee: You have been too busy, in your room!
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: I went to a lot of places and have tried different kinds of food.
Vaibhav Arora: Mereko leke nahin gaye!
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Playing for KKR is a dream for me. Last year I was in Gujarat Titans but didn’t play, and this year, I have played all the games. I always try to be better for the team and do something special. Unfortunately, what I expect from myself, I didn’t do that well and I’ll try to do better for KKR.
David Wiese: It is difficult to explain to somebody what it is like to play at Eden Gardens... 60,000 people screaming your name and getting behind you while you are playing. It’s been a while since I have been in India, playing here.... (Talking of food),I am not too adventurous when it comes to local cuisine. The spice doesn’t sit with me that well....
Meeting Shah Rukh Khan...
Shah Rukh Khan at Eden Gardens
Jason: Unfortunately, I am yet to meet him. I have not met the big rockstar. I have heard a lot of great things about him. Very relaxed guy and seems to have a lot of friends and followers. From what I have heard, he is a very nice guy. Maybe this week. This is our last week here. If not, maybe next year. He is a big part of the franchise.
Lockie: I have met him a few times now. He came after our first win to the team gathering after the game, which was nice. He is a busy man, so it’s nice to catch up. He loves the Knight Riders and it is nice of him to be there and see our first win. He had good fun that night and probably the boys had him dancing, which is always great.
Ryan: His humility stands out. The way he interacts with everyone and brings a lot of positive energy. The bracket of fame and stardom he has.... he is super normal, which is one of my favourite traits in a person.
Jagadeesan: Obviously, I am a very big fan. When I met him for the first time, I was delighted and it was a fanboy moment. He was so down to earth that he came and spoke to me and he told me a lot of good stuff. He was talking to me about my domestic season. It was so humbling and it just felt great.
Tim: Just an amazing man... to be such a superstar and such an iconic Indian figure and for him to come here and have time for everyone and make everyone feel welcome... just a special person.
Vaibhav:If you are an Indian, you always have this dream of meeting Shah Rukh Khan. He was so humble. It felt like meeting your family member. It was ‘the’ moment for me. Main Hoon Na is my favourite Shah Rukh Khan film.
Gurbaz: It was a dream to meet Shah Rukh Khan. I had been following for a long time. I had thought it would be so much pressure to meet him, but once I met him, it was so nice. He was so kind and humble. I liked Koyla... I was a chhota bachcha (when it released)... and now Pathaan.
David: He has been a busy man with his movie coming out, but we did one night with him when he came and watched the game. It was amazing to meet him. You see this guy who is larger than life on the TV screen and when you meet him in person, he is such a humble person.
The bonding in the team...
Vaibhav: The bonding has been great... Timmy is my good friend. I am learning so much from him. The best players in the world are here and I am getting to learn a lot.
David:In a tournament like this, you spend so much time together, you get to know everybody. You get to do these activities together and we played a bit of golf also. Even on travel days, you are sitting next to a new person. So, you just get to bond with everybody. It is nice to know the different cultures and backgrounds.
Memories of IPL 2023...
Jason: Just enjoyed playing cricket, to be honest. I absolutely loved playing on packed grounds again. Covid is still fresh in everyone’s memories. How rubbish that was. So, to be able to be out here and play in front of packed crowds, at a new ground and make a lot of new friends.... I have had the opportunity to play a bit more cricket because usually when I have come, I have played one or two games. It has been quite frustrating. So, to be able to play a few games and contribute, has been enjoyable. There has been an amazing amount of love. The fan base here is absolutely incredible.
Lockie: We made a lot of new friends. Didn’t know Jaggi or Jason Roy or Tendo before this trip... we play against each other a lot of times and there is always some competition on the field, but then it is nice to spend some time and play golf. Other than that there is always plenty of learning to take. We have the World Cup here of course in a few months. So, take a few learnings from the bowling department and try to carry that forward to the World Cup.
Ryan: All you ask is that the guys grow... like Lockie says, make new friendships.
Jagadeesan: I am going to learn a lot. Everytime you come into an IPL setup and share the dressing room with a great player... there is so much to learn as a youngster, you just want to learn and improve every day... you have a World Cup winner (England won the World Cup in 2019) and a World Cup runner-up (New Zealand were the 2019 runners-up), that’s what I will take back and come back stronger next year.
(L-R) Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora, Tim Southee and David Wiese, at ITC Sonar on Wednesday. They chatted with t2 before heading to Narayana School, New Town, for ‘Chat with Champions’ presented by The Telegraph
Tim Southee signed a bat as all-rounder Anukul Roy looked on
The students of Narayana School, New Town, were an enthusiastic bunch, cheering for their favourite Knights
Tim Southee and Anukul Roy shared a laugh
On the sidelines of the chat that was moderated by Jimmy Tangree, there was also a mini celebration of David Wiese’s birthday (May 18)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Vaibhav Arora in a fun moment
Harshit Rana and David Wiese were all smiles and hearts at the chat
Pictures: Rashbehari Das and B Halder