My job is to bail team out of crisis: Shahrukh Khan

Later in the evening, Kanitkar told this reporter, “I’ve never seen anyone hit the cricket ball cleaner than this kid. You will hear a lot about him in the coming years.”

Karthik, too, chipped in, “Coach is absolutely right, what a fearless stroke-player, and you should take his interview instead of mine. He is a future star.”

Shubman Gill stole the limelight in that match with a sublime 268, while Shahrukh only scored 19 in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 11 in the second.

Both Kanitkar and Karthik were right about Shahrukh’s talent. In 33 List A games, his strike rate is 128.62, while in T20s, he scores at 136.40. In the 2021 Indian Premier League auction, Punjab Kings bought him for Rs 5.25 crore, and the franchise bought him back a year later for Rs 9 crore, up from a base price of Rs 40 lakh.

Walked into bat on 162/5 at the stroke of lunch. In just two sessions Shahrukh Khan has made a mockery out of Delhi’s first innings score of 452. What a way to get his maiden Ranji trophy hundred!! Ferocious hitting💥💥 pic.twitter.com/u1TesO5p4p

— Arun Ashok (@arunashokhere) February 19, 2022

On Saturday, the 26-year-old middle-order batsman showed his prowess in the red-ball format with a magnificent 148-ball 194 that ensured the first innings lead for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in their Ranji Trophy encounter. It was Shahrukh’s maiden first-class century, and the 10 sixes he hit was just a gentle reminder of why so many franchises were bidding fiercely for him during the recent IPL mega auction.

For Shahrukh, personal milestones don’t matter as long as he bails his team out of a crisis, regardless of the format of the game.

💯 for Shahrukh Khan! 💪 💪

This has been a power-packed knock from the Tamil Nadu right-hander as he completes a ton in just 89 balls. 👌 👌 #RanjiTrophy | #DELvTN | @Paytm | @TNCACricket | @shahrukh_35

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/ZIohzqwNwa pic.twitter.com/AHdaG05Ybm

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 19, 2022

“In limited-overs cricket, my job is to finish the game for the team, and it is same with the red ball too. We were under pressure, and my job was to bail the team out of the situation,” Shahrukh tells The Indian Express.

Tamil Nadu was tottering at 162 for 5, when Shahrukh came to bat at No 7. He soaked up the pressure and put on 134 runs for the sixth wicket with Baba Indrajith (117). Then he added 178 runs with wicketkeeper Narayanswami Jagadeesan, who chipped in with a 50 off 71 balls while enjoying his partner’s belligerence from the non-striker’s end.

“Personal milestones don’t matter to me a lot. My job was to get the team to pass the score of 452. That was the target. I am happy that I could take the team to a first innings lead. The more I try and contribute to the team’s success, my personal goals will also be achieved in that process,” says Shahrukh.

He fell six short of converting his maiden first-class century into a double but put Tamil in front with his imperious knock. Shahrukh controlled his natural instinct initially, taking only calculated risks.

“I don’t generally curb my natural instincts. If the ball is there to hit, I will hit it. But when six fielders are on the rope, there is no point in taking on the bowler. I was playing my natural game, hitting the bad balls, but I was calculating at the same time,” says Shahrukh.

 

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“Vikas Mishra (6/108) was bowling really well; he had a mid-on and long-off, half-way outside the 30 yards. They were not exactly on the boundary line. I respected the way he bowled, and credit goes to him. But if the field is up, I will go over the top; that’s the only way I’ve played my cricket since my Under-13 days,” he adds.

India call-up

It is turning out to be an excellent month for the Tamil Nadu batsman. He was added to the Indian squad for the first ODI against West Indies after a few players were found Covid-19 positive. It was followed by a million-dollar-plus IPL contract, and now a maiden first-class century.

“All the hard work is slowly paying off,” he says. Shahrukh looks back fondly at his time in the India dressing room. “It was special. When the team was announced, and I saw my name was not there, I said, ‘it is okay, let’s prepare for the Ranji Trophy.’ But when the call came up, I was stunned and happy at the same time.”

Sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has changed his approach to the game.

“The energy and vibe in that dressing room is so refreshing. To be among the few selected bunch of players from across the country is pretty special. For a new kid like me, it was refreshing to see the way they go through their processes.

“Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) have scored so many runs for India, but they will never skip a net session. The passion remains the same in each session. Their professionalism is a reminder for me that there is no substitute for hard work. It was surreal to see them putting inn those hard yards day in and day out. This stint gave me so much confidence,” Shahrukh adds.