MAHARAJA & THE KING: Sourav Ganguly steals a glance at Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone during an ODI in Jaipur last November.

Get ready for “all the King’s men” to invade Eden Gardens. Not just on the field but off it as well. On April 20, the Eden Gardens floodlights will struggle to outshine the starburst in the stands as the badshah of Kolkata Knight Riders, supported by the ABP Group, turns it on.

Shah Rukh Khan’s cheerleader army for his team’s first ‘home’ match (versus Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad) is so big that it is struggling to get so many business class tickets into town.

“I may have to come in economy class with all my friends,” Shah Rukh chuckled, when Metro met him in his vanity van in Mumbai. “That’s why (wife) Gauri and the children (Aryan and Suhana) would be flying to Calcutta on April 19, a day before the match, while I will only be coming in on Sunday morning with all my guys.”

And what guys (and girls, of course)! Accompanying Shah Rukh for most of the Kolkata Knight Riders matches in Calcutta would be the likes of Arjun Rampal, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Farah Khan, Karan Johar and Manish Malhotra. “Whoever is free will come along to make some noise at the stadium,” smiled King Khan.

Saif and Kareena

“I am really excited about going with Shah Rukh and cheering for the Kolkata Knight Riders,” Karan messaged Metro from Miami on Friday.

It will be a first for Shah Rukh as well, when he steps into Eden Gardens on April 20, as he has only seen the ground “on TV” till now.

But the superstar can’t stop gushing about the Eden. “It’s the best in the country and with some help and support from the government I want to make it the greatest stadium in the world.”

And where will he be sitting at the Eden? “What do you call that special area?” Club House? “Yes, I will be there with my friends.”

What about the King being with his men, the ones taking the field? “Oh, I will be going up and down… don’t worry,” assured SRK, with a dimple.

If the state government waives the entertainment tax, Shah Rukh and his star-spangled posse will have even more to do at the Eden. “I want Rani, Bipasha and Kareena to perform during the 10-minute break,” said Shah Rukh.