"My Captain forever and more" - Shah Rukh Khan responds to Gautam Gambhir's birthday wish

Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 59th birthday on Saturday, November 2. The renowned actor received tons of wishes from celebrities and fans.

Gautam Gambhir, former KKR captain and mentor, also shared a special birthday wish for Shah Rukh Khan. He wrote on the microblogging platform X:

"Here’s to the man who keeps turning 25! Your energy, charisma & charm gets more youthful every year! May you keep spreading love forever!"

Reacting to Gambhir's wish, Shah Rukh joked about being younger than 25. He also lauded the former India opener for his honesty. Mentioning that Gambhir will always remain his captain, Shah Rukh wrote on X:

"I’m 25?!? I thought I was younger…. Ha ha… thank you GG for being such an inspiration. And the honesty u bring to life. My Captain forever and more. Love u."

It is worth mentioning that Gautam Gambhir has played a pivotal role in KKR's every title win in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was the captain of the team in their triumphs in 2012 and 2014, while he served as a mentor in the side's successful campaign in 2024.

Gambhir's stint with KKR ended after their IPL 2024 victory as he joined India's men's team as their new head coach, taking over from Rahul Dravid. Following his exit, the Kolkata-based franchise roped in former West Indies captain Dwyane Bravo for a mentorship role ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

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"He is the best owner I've worked with" - When Gautam Gambhir reserved high praise for Shah Rukh Khan

During IPL 2024, Gautam Gambhir lauded Shah Rukh Khan, calling him the best team owner he has worked with. The 43-year-old suggested that Shah Rukh never spoke to him about cricket during his seven-year stint as KKR captain.

Gambhir recalled that the only time Shah Rukh discussed anything related to cricket was when he thought of dropping himself after a string of poor batting performances in the 2014 edition. Speaking on the KKR Knights Dugout Podcast, he said:

"I couldn't score one run in four games. I've said it numerous times I think he (Shah Rukh Khan) is the best owner I've worked with. It's not because I'm now part of KKR or I was part of KKR. I don't think so in seven years of me captaining KKR we have had a cricketing conversation even for seven minutes, except for that patch that I was going through.

"That time also we had the conversation because I was on the verge of dropping myself. The only thing he told me was till you're here, you are not going to drop yourself."

Meanwhile, KKR are in search of a new captain ahead of IPL 2025. The side released Shreyas Iyer, who led them to title victory in 2024. The side retained Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.