The second life for Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Shahrukh Khan

In a country that has been dominated by cricket and cinema, being Shahrukh Khan is quite tough. Be it the 56-year-old superstar, who continues to rule cinema or be it the 26-year-old cricketer, who is on the cusp of entering the top realms of cricket, the pressure is paramount. 

For the latter, it was in the name. Shahrukh Khan – the cricketer –  is a rare package, a package that has made heads turn in such a short span of time on a national level. But Shahrukh, the budding cricketer was always destined for great things within the Tamil Nadu cricketing circuit. 

Long before he turned out to be his saviour for Tamil Nadu or be picked by the Punjab Kings, Shahrukh made his presence felt at the top of the order and very often, with the ball. During his U-13 days, he picked wickets up for fun, with his off-spin and scored runs in a flamboyant fashion, clearing boundaries. 

But that was long ago. Since he made his IPL debut, he has gained the national interest, with several call-ups to the national team, but the ultimate debut is still on the cusp. Post MS Dhoni’s illustrious career, one where he donned multiple hats, the role of a finisher has become a niche in Indian cricket. 

So much so, that the pressure that comes with it, is paramount. But Shahrukh has taken that pressure like a duck to water. While I haven’t had the privilege of watching the right-hander from close quarters, I have heard quite a lot of things from the privileged. 

“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,” Shahrukh revealed to TOI in an interview. 

Shahrukh is calm, composed, jovial amidst being a finisher, a job that has often been considered as the toughest. It is perhaps that nature of his, combined with his attitude that has made him climb the cricketing ladders. 

If in 2019, his focus was on getting Tamil Nadu to a great start, his focus in 2021, was to give them the flourishing end. And throughout the transition, from an opener to a finisher, he has not lost his touch of putting the ball into the deep ends.

Shahrukh, the all-rounder was always in the making

Being a finisher is a tough task in itself but the evolving game doesn’t just demand specialist batters/bowlers, it demands players to be multi-faceted. Shahrukh was multi-faceted but it never came at a level that was path-breaking.

At the senior level, he has only bowled in 17 innings, across formats, picking up eight wickets but during the early stages of his career, he was a proven all-rounder. In 2012, during the early stages of the now Junior Super Kings league, Shahrukh struck gold, where he was named the all-rounder of the tournament. 

Since that day, the expectation was always going to grow in stature for the Velachery cricketer. And for most parts of his cricketing career, till 2021, it was always the batting that had caught the attention. His skills are unheard of in Indian cricket, he can smack the ball a long way, can take on situations that will make most batters sweat.

Not just take on, he will get there without breaking a sweat. During his debut season for the Punjab Kings, there was always an eye or two over the scoreboard which read him as an all-rounder, on the squad list where he was listed as one. 

But the season was marred with some bizarre decisions for Punjab Kings, so much so that Shahrukh was left on the bench. While he made an instantaneous impact on his return, the all-rounder that had caught the eye of several journalists during his early days, was still missing.

“I got a message from Anil sir after they picked me. He welcomed me back into the setup and told me that I should be ready to bowl as well,” said Shahrukh, after he was picked by the franchise during the 2022 IPL Auction. 

In the aftermath, there was the regular appearance of Shahrukh, the all-rounder, where he also struck thrice in the clash against Jharkhand with his off-spin. And for Punjab, a franchise that had relied on just five bowlers in the first phase of the tournament, it was always going to be integral to have the 26-year-old roll his arms consistently during the IPL. 

With the constant evolution of T20 cricket in the country, and equally, the ever-growing demand from national selectors, this version of Shahrukh is going to be paramount. 

Maybe in the next ten years, Shahrukh’s cricketing journey will be a story to savour but the making, at least, at the national level will be in full pursuit in 2022.