After Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan wants to make a mark in the IPL too | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: It’s not just Bollywood, Indian cricket also has a Shahrukh Khan and a Salman Khan.
TimesofIndia.com has in the past talked to both cricketers about their dreams and aspirations.
Dashing all-rounder Shahrukh Khan, who is a force to be reckoned with in domestic cricket where he plays for Tamil Nadu, has become a household name, thanks largely to the IPL.
Now, Rajasthan cricketer Salman Khan, who is four years younger than the cricketer Shahrukh Khan, too wants to make a name for himself in the Indian Premier League.
Like the 27 year old Shahrukh, Salman, who has been part of two India Under-19 Asia Cup campaigns (2016 and 2017), is known for his hard-hitting batting approach.

(Photo: TOI arrangement)
“Watching him (Shahrukh) bat is a treat. I really enjoy his batting. I am also working hard on my batting. Whenever I go out to the middle, I go with a positive mindset. I want to win as many games for my team as possible. When I score a fifty, I aim to convert it into a hundred and then into 150. I don’t like to stop,” Salman told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
In the CK Nayudu Trophy in April this year, Salman scored 506 runs in 5 matches, averaging 63.25. His impressive show also included two centuries and one fifty. He also scored a double hundred (vs Bihar). His other century was a score of 161 against Gujarat in the quarterfinals.
“I am really happy with my performance. I am young and I try to learn something every day. My coaches and seniors have helped me a lot in improving my batting. I do yoga and a lot of meditation, along with some exercises. Yoga and meditation have helped me a lot in taking my batting to another level,” the 23-year-old from Rajasthan further told TimesofIndia.com.
Shahrukh Khan has played two IPL seasons (2021 and 2022) so far for the Punjab Kings and scored 270 runs in 19 matches, averaging 19.29. Salman dreams of donning an IPL jersey himself soon.

(Photo: TOI arrangement)
“I wish to impress a franchise in the IPL and hope to get a contract. Shahrukh is already playing and he is doing really well. I also want to impress IPL teams. I want to play IPL because you get to learn so much and share knowledge with cricketers from all over the world under one umbrella. IPL has helped a lot of cricketers. I am also looking forward to it,” Salman further said.
Salman made his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of just 17. Coming in at No. 6, Salman scored 110 off 203 balls, including 15 fours, in his debut Ranji Trophy match against Odisha in November 2016 in Patiala. The match ended in a draw, but Salman walked away with the Man-of-the-Match award.
“I was really happy to score a hundred in my debut match. My father distributed sweets in the locality,” the Rajasthan cricketer said.
“I started playing cricket at the age of 8. I used to watch and observe some older kids playing in a nearby ground. I loved the excitement and the energy. That’s what inspired me to take up cricket. My father was impressed with my love for cricket. One day he asked me “Cricket khelega kya?” (Will you play cricket?). I said yes and smiled. He supported me a lot from then on,” Salman shared with TimesofIndia.com.

(Photo: TOI arrangement)
Salman was part of the Indian Under-19 Asia Cup team in 2016 (in Sri Lanka) and in 2017 (Malaysia). During his under-19 days, Salman got the chance to interact with his then coach, Indian batting stalwart, Rahul Dravid.
“I was part of the 2016 (Sri Lanka, which India won) and 2017 (Malaysia) Under-19 Asia Cup teams. I was also part of the India Under-19 team which toured England (2017). The most important thing I learnt from Rahul sir is discipline. He gave me a lot of tips. He is the head coach of the Indian team now. I know he is very busy but whenever he sees my message, he replies. Such a great human being he is,” Salman told TimesofIndia.com.
“He has helped me evolve into a decent cricketer. I took a lot of tips from him. He said hitting sixes and fours are important but rotating strike is more important than anything else. He taught me the importance of taking singles and doubles and taught me how singles and doubles can change the course of the game,” Salman signed off.