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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made themselves one of the beloved destinations for many IPL-level players, not just because of their history and legacy of winning titles, but also their treatment of the players. Several atheletes, past and present, have spoken about how the franchise took care of them in their hardest times — most, like Rinku Singh, are loyal to them for that very reason. Now, it has been revealed that Cheteshwar Pujara, who never played for KKR, had a similar story. In 2009, a 21-year-old Pujara joined the franchise after a brilliant domestic season, eager to make his IPL debut. During a practice match, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — a serious knee injury among atheletes with recovery times that range upto a year, infamous of ruining many careers, especially in sports involving running. “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,” Cheteshwar’s wife, Puja Pujara, wrote in The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife. KKR immediately took charge, arranging for his surgery in Cape Town, where specialists treated sports injuries. Pujara’s father was initially hesitant, wanting the operation done in his hometown of Rajkot, but Shah Rukh Khan personally convinced him that South Africa offered the best care. The franchise handled passports, visas, and travel, even flying Pujara’s father and family doctor with him. “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,” Pujara’s father is quoted as saying in the book. “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,” a representative told Pujara’s family, as mentioned in the book. The surgery succeeded, and Pujara fully recovered, later establishing himself as a key Test batsman for India. He retired only recently
