David Ivon Gower made his IPL ‘debut’ at the Eden on Wednesday. He was hosted by the gracious Shah Rukh Khan, principal owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Gower, in fact, watched the last 15 overs of the KKR versus Kings XI Punjab match in Shah Rukh’s den. The home franchise won big, by 28 runs.

On arrival, Gower was greeted by Venky Mysore, the KKR CEO, and introduced to Shah Rukh soon afterwards.

Not immediately, as Shah Rukh was alone in the left-hand corner of the balcony. An unwritten rule is that he is not to be disturbed when in that state of involvement.

When introduced to Gower, Shah Rukh gave his trademark hug and thanked the former England captain for gracing his den. Being the host, and a gracious one at that, Shah Rukh enquired if Gower had dinner and if he, at least, wished to have something to drink.

Asked by The Telegraph if he’d also been an admirer of Gower, Shah Rukh enthusiastically answered: “Of course” and gave the thumbs up.

After a while, Shah Rukh moved indoors, but Gower preferred to sit and stand in the balcony to soak in the “remarkable atmosphere.”

Shah Rukh came out after about 10 minutes and stood in the left-hand corner, appearing rather tense. That despite the match almost being in KKR’s grasp.

Seeing Shah Rukh in that state, Gower commented: “That really is being engrossed… Observing Shah Rukh has itself been an experience.”

It was only when the last over was to be bowled, with the Kings XI requiring an unachievable 42, that Shah Rukh broke into a smile and took a few steps backwards. Mysore was the first to congratulate him, followed by the highly superstitious co-owner Juhi Chawla and, of course, Gower.

Asked why he’d been so tense, Shah Rukh smiled and replied: “That’s because you, in the Media, had been flaying us when we weren’t winning and I’m aware of how seriously Bengal takes its cricket. I just have to be deeply immersed in the matches.”

Shah Rukh, by the way, informed that he’d be present at the Eden for most of KKR’s remaining fixtures at home.

On completion of the match, Gower accepted Shah Rukh’s invitation to accompany him to the presentation area.

Not surprisingly, a host of players from both teams interacted with Gower and he was seen having a reasonably long discussion with Chris ‘Universe Boss’ Gayle.

On the way to the dressing room, Shah Rukh indicated to this Reporter that KKR would invite Gower to the play-offs once the franchise got there. “It would be good to have him with us,” Shah Rukh stated.

When it was almost time for Gower to leave the Eden, he met a group of very senior Calcutta Police officers, including CP Anuj Sharma and Additional CP (I) Jawed Shamim, all mega fans of his.

Summing up his IPL ‘debut’, Gower said: “Great… From Shah Rukh’s warmth to the atmosphere… The one thing missing, however, was a truly competitive match.”