A day after notching up a strike rate of 157.89 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Yusuf Pathan relaxed with fellow Knights at RCGC for Knight Golf on Tuesday. 

How was today’s golfing session? 
Achchha tha. Everybody enjoyed today, but I am learning… it’s good.

What do you like about golf? How different is it for you from smashing a cricket ball?
About golf, I like hitting the ball hard (laughs). The only difference is the size of the ball, and the posture of the head and feet, and hand movement.

Who is the prankster in the team?
(Thinks, looks at K.C. Cariappa and asks) Kaun hai prankster? Okay, I’ll take my own name (laughs).

And who is the most reserved?
Aisa koi hai hi nahin team mein, sab ek se badhke ek hain (smiles). But yes, Jacques Kallis... he is mostly 
serious and quiet.
 
What’s a normal day at home for you like?
It is a fun time with my family, with happy moments, sweet fights and pranks with my sister… I am very close to my family. I indulge in gardening too, which many people do not know. I also have pets. 

All that is so unlike the aggressive player we see on the field…
Woh mera fault nahin hai, na. If you do not talk to someone you will not get to know them. Woh hi hota hai, people bina jaane judge karte hain.

Your son Ayaan just turned a year old. How has life changed for you after becoming a dad? 
Life looks just the same, but yes, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience and it’s been just one year so these things are new to me. And yes, I do babysit and change my son’s nappies, just like any other father. I am very happy doing that.

How do you unwind? Have you watched any recent movie?
Yes, just a few days back I watched Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!. And I really loved it. The movie had an interesting story that kept me hooked, unlike most movies nowadays.

How did you like Tollywood actress Swastika Mukherjee in the film?
She was very good! And Sushant Singh Rajput did a great job. Actually I used to watch the TV serial Byomkesh Bakshi regularly. 

How else do you unwind? Do you sing?
Sometimes, agar mood mein hai toh, koi gaana kabhi kabhi zubaan pe, dard bhari.... (laughs).

In a high-tension situation during a match, what goes on in your mind? Do you pray or stick to any superstition?
I’m thinking all about the match... like what the situation demands, when to attack, when not to. Prayers are done all before the match, rest is all about playing. As such I don’t have any superstition, just that I set my right foot forward always, wear my right shoe first but take off the left first.

A person you are closest to in the KKR squad?
Wasim (Akram) bhai. He is always there, even if there is a problem... he always checks if everything is fine.

You must have clicked a hundred selfies today with your fans! Do you like selfies?
Honestly bolun toh mereko selfie kheenchna utna pasand nahin hai. But I always watch my brother Irfan clicking selfies. And today was different... the kids wanted pictures, especially selfies. And I enjoyed clicking with them. Times have changed….

How active are you on Twitter? 
Yes, I am on Twitter (@iamyusufpathan), I retweet things if I like them. I follow my friends. I reply to questions from fans but then if someone is asking the same thing then it is not possible to reply.

Being with Kolkata Knight Riders for so long, how much Bengali have you picked up?
Aap boliye Bengali mein, I will understand what you are saying. I can say, ‘Kemon achhey, bhalo achhey?’ (smiles). In food I like bekti with mustard, but I have asked them not to serve me fish with too many bones.

Only two home matches left now. What’s the team strategy?
We are playing well and we have to keep that up. The dream is to play the finals in Calcutta.

Any message from team boss Shah Rukh Khan?
No, not yet. He is very busy now but he keeps encouraging us on Twitter. He is very supportive that way.

Pramita Ghosh

TENDO DOES IT IN STYLE!

 

Ryan ten Doeschate swings the golf club with as much swag as he wields the willow. A quick t2 chat on the RCGC greens on the sidelines of Knight Golf 

After Monday’s win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a day on the golf course must have been relaxing?
Today it was a lot of fun. It was very well-organised and I met some really nice people. The golf was average, but the course is very good and overall a very enjoyable and relaxing day.

Golf seems like your second favourite sport…
Yeah, the competitive side of the game is a lot of fun. You can compete against yourself and against other people, so that makes it a great sport. It is also very social, where you get to spend four hours playing with people... you get to chat about all sorts of things, so it’s great fun.

Who is your all-time favourite golfer?
At the moment I would go with Rickie Fowler, because he is fashionable and funky. My all-time funky golfer would be Ernie Els because he is South African (Ryan was born in South Africa).

You mentioned being fashionable and you always turn out in style. How many golfing shorts do you own?!
Thanks (smiles)! Actually loads. That’s another good thing about golf — it has good accessories. You can dress up nicely even if you are not a good player!

Your favourite brand?
Puma, always. They have really cool golf sets. In fact, that’s why I like Rickie Fowler as well. The snapbacks are really cool.

Any golfing tip that you would like to share?
No, no, I am not good enough to give tips! The main thing is to just enjoy the game. For me it’s more about playing with the team, but the guys I played with played very well.

Do you play any other game? 
Everything. Tennis, soccer, rugby…. Like I said, anything competitive, where you can hang out with people.

PG

Royals who went golfing with the Knights

“I played with Johan Botha and the whole experience had such a happy and feel-good factor. I realised that a good sportsman is good everywhere. They had great swings and muscle power, and how to handle pressure is something I learnt from him. The secret is they don’t get stressed or pressured at all. And their humility was something I loved” — Sachin Varma, dermatologist

“I have seen most of the KKR players play here earlier too, as they have visited RCGC quite often. The best part about Tuesday’s session was the experience club members and their kids had. Venky Mysore (KKR CEO) even said he would like to make Knight Golf an annual event” — Gaurav Ghosh, Indian Golf Union council member

“Playing against Pat Cummins was wonderful! He loved the course and the lovely raintrees here. We chatted about his cricketing schedule, which is very tight, with a couple of months of free time. Overall a fun-filled day where the kids enjoyed getting autographs and selfies” 
— Lakshman ‘Bunny’ Singh, veteran golfer