"Despite his superstar status, he maintains his down-to-earth demeanor" - Suresh Raina on Shah Rukh Khan after KKR reach IPL 2024 final

Former Team India batter Suresh Raina lauded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan for being grounded despite enjoying a tremendous following. The two renowned personalities were seen interacting after KKR's eight-wicket win over the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2024 on Tuesday, May 21.

KKR chased down a 160-run target in just 13.4 overs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, becoming the first team to qualify for the IPL 2024 final. Following the team's emphatic victory, Raina shared a post on his official social media handles to congratulate Shah Rukh Khan.

The cricket star wrote:

"It was wonderful catching up with the always humble @iamsrk today. Despite his superstar status, he maintains his down-to-earth demeanor, showcasing humility in every interaction. Congratulations to KKR for making it to the finals! #KKR."

SRH won the toss and chose to bat first in the Qualifier 1. However, they found themselves in a precarious position with the loss of early wickets. Rahul Tripathi shone under pressure, scoring 55 runs in 35 balls. Hyderabad were ultimately bundled out for 159.

Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers, bagging a three-wicket haul. Varun Chakravarthy also bowled a tidy spell, claiming two scalps. Kolkata chased down the total comfortably, courtesy of half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer (58*) and Venkatesh Iyer (51*).

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"The best owner I have ever worked with" - KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir on Shah Rukh Khan

Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir came on board as the mentor of the franchise ahead of the ongoing season. Speaking about his relationship with Shah Rukh Khan, Gambhir said the actor was the best IPL team owner he had worked with.

The 42-year-old added that Shah Rukh had shown immense faith in the team management. Suggesting that the two haven't spoken about cricket for even 70 seconds, here's what Gambhir said on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel:

"It is the trust of the owner as well. I have said it many times in the past I think SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) is the best owner I have ever worked with. The reason is not because now I am back with the KKR. The reason is that in the seven years of me captaining, we had not spoken 70 seconds about cricket. He had never asked me a single question on cricket in those seven years. Can you imagine?"

The IPL 2024 final will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, May 26. One of SRH, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will compete against KKR in the summit clash.