Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan is be one of the players who has been attracting quite some eyes thanks to his performances for his state team in the past two editions of the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2021.
The big-hitter will be entering the IPL 2022 mega auction with a base price of INR 40 lakhs and is expected to attract some huge bids given his talents for sending the ball past the boundary line with relative ease. Especially, after he hit a last-ball six to help Tamil Nadu win the recent edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, beating Karnataka in the finals.
In an interview with Times of India, Shahrukh Khan revealed that he idolizes former India captain and Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni.
"I idolize MS Dhoni and want to finish games the way he did for India. I have always looked up to Dhoni and I want to become a finisher like him," Shahrukh Khan told Times of India.
IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya opens up on learnings from Dhoni, Kohli and Rohit’s captaincy
"When I go to the crease, I am mentally prepared and don't think about the pressure. I keep calm and play my game. I know how to shift gears as per match situations. I always want to get the job done for my team. I don't let the pressure hit me when I go to the crease. When you think about your individual performance rather than the team, then the pressure can be clearly seen on your face. And, I put my team first, not me. I don't think about myself. That's why I don't feel pressure," Shahrukh added.
Punjab Kings had splurged a whopping Rs 5.25 crore to buy Shahrukh for IPL 2021. In 11 matches, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder scored 153 runs, at an average of 21.85. He whacked 10 sixes in his maiden IPL tournament at a strike rate of 134.21.
Talking about the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auction, the hard-hitting batter said: "I am not thinking too much about the auction. I want to live in the present. I will grab whatever opportunity comes my way. It is not in my hands. I learned a lot at Punjab Kings.”
He has been also added to the Indian squad as a standby player along with R Sai Kishore for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies.
"The path is clear now. I am very happy. I have managed to grab the attention of the selectors. If you had asked me a year back, I would have said I am not ready, but if you ask me now, I will say 'yes, I am prepared to don the India jersey'. I am ready now. I can say this with my head held high. It is a dream that I have been living. I am really excited to be a part of the team. Looking forward to learning a lot," Shahrukh said.
(Times of India inputs)
