NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan extended remarkable support to cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara during his serious knee injury in 2010, arranging for his surgery in Cape Town after the batter tore his anterior cruciate ligament before even playing a single match for the IPL franchise.The injury occurred during a practice session when Pujara injured himself while attempting a catch, resulting in a ruptured ACL that temporarily derailed his budding career.
Pujara’s wife, Puja, recalled the incident in her book The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife: “Destiny impelled him to dash heedlessly to a ball for a catch that was never there; and the result: a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, an impending surgery and a temporarily halted cricketing career — all without playing a single game for KKR.”The KKR franchise took full responsibility for his treatment, managing every detail — from medical coordination to passports, visas, and travel. They even arranged for Pujara’s father to accompany him to South Africa.In the book, Pujara’s father recounted Shah Rukh Khan’s generous gesture: “Shah Rukh also told me that Chintu had a great future ahead of him and should have the best available medical treatment. When he realised I was worried about the absence of a support system in South Africa and my faith in Dr Shah’s abilities, he offered to fly him and any family members I wanted with me.”A team representative also assured complete support, saying: “We’ll also fly down anyone you want for the surgery. We’ll pay them here so that you have your own people around you.”The timing of the injury was especially difficult for Pujara, who was then making waves with strong domestic performances. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, enabling him to make a full recovery and resume his cricket career.
