This is a cricket blog but for this one time I am making an exception and writing about my other love - Bollywood.

I have just come back from a trip to Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg. Nothing really tops roaming around Europe with your wife, but some things come really close, like bumping into the one and only Shahrukh Khan during the same trip!

Yes. That happened. We saw Shahrukh Khan. In Prague.

And I had a brief encounter with him.

While strolling back after seeing some stunning views of the city from Prague Castle and Petrin Tower, we decided to make our way to Charles Bridge and watch the sun set.

As we walked towards the bridge, my wife pointed out towards a large crowd gathered under the bridge.

We thought it was the usual street performer showing his or her moves.

As we approached we realized the crowd was blocking our way towards the stairs leading up to Charles Bridge.

We walked past the crowd and towards the stairs and then suddenly a security guard asked us to stop and this is what followed:

Me: Hey I just want to go up to the bridge.

Security: you can't from here, shooting is going on.

Me: Oh film shooting (as I look around and see some movie cameras). Which movie?

Security: its an Indian movie.

Me: Tell me which one, I know all Indian movies.

Security: It is called The Ring.

Me: Nooo that doesn't sound like an Indian movie. Who is in it?

Security: The most famous movie actor from India is here.

Me: Who Shahrukh Khan!?

Security: yes yes Shahrukh Khan.

Me: Are u serious?

My Wife: baby bakwas kar raha hai.

Security: yes Shahrukh Khan.

Me: Baby THERE HE IS SHAHRUKH KHAN !!

And we saw him, applying some touch up to his face and getting ready for a shot.



As SRK completed his touch up, Imtiaz Ali walked up to him and gave him some suggestions.

Then the shot rolled.

An Arijit song played.

SRK walked up the stairs of Charles Bridge, the same stairs we were supposed to go on.


Ofcourse I knew that SRK and Anushka Sharma were in Europe to shoot for Imtiaz Ali's next. That was the last Bollywood news I had read before leaving for my own Euro trip.

However, I had no idea that they were going to be in Prague and I could not believe my luck that I was in Prague at the same time and by chance walked up to the location of their shooting!

Once I got a bit over the euphoria of watching SRK shoot in person, I looked around the crowd that had gathered and was so pleasantly surprised to see European women pointing towards SRK and telling each other that that is Shahrukh Khan.

Global star is an understatement!

I wanted to shout out his name a few times and kept repeating the same to my wife who was so amused by my excitement.

I said it about the 5th time "I want to shout", when an Indian girl behind me said "come on shout, we will shout with you".

Such encouragement always makes such things easier. I said "sure on 1,2,3, we all shout Shahrukh Khan".

As I completed my 1,2,3 count, a group of about 15 people let out a huge "SHAAAAHHRUUKKHHH KHAAAAN !!!".

He looked up, smiled, and waved.

That was it. Our day, our trip was made.

Soon after Imtiaz Ali called it "a wrap" and SRK started walking away.

Sensing an opportunity to go meet him, shake his hand, take a selfie I turned around to my wife and said I am going to follow him.

After the tiring walk up and down the hills, my wife was in no mood to rush or run, but seeing my excitement she smiled and said "go go I'm walking behind araam se.

It almost sounded like "Ja Simran, jee le apni zindagi".

I first ran past and clicked a selfie, capturing SRK and myself in the same frame.



I moved closer and and exclaimed "Shahrukh.. Shahrukh" as I extended my left arm out. He stretched out his right hand and gave me a five while moving ahead denying fans asking for selfies.

I ran past him again and switched on my selfie camera to capture SRK and myself in one frame for as long as I could.

Here it is... the video that I will cherish forever. King Khan and I in the same frame for 12 seconds!



As you will see, he almost tapped me on the shoulder before being swooshed away by his security detail.

Woh kehte hain na... "Don ko pakarna mushkil hi nai namumqin hai"..

When I shared my excitement and the pics and video with my friends, this is what I got in return from mere bachpan ka dost.










































It wasn't the first time I saw SRK. I have been to a couple of his concerts in Dubai, and also saw him at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi during an IPL match between KKR and Kings XI.


But this encounter in Prague was definitely a memorable one and I just had to write about it.

I even asked around for Anushka Sharma, but no one had any idea. She was probably prowling around Prague in the hunt for Pokemons.

As you can tell, I am a huge SRK fan. I have been since I saw Baazigar. And I still am after watching Happy New Year, Chennai Express, and Dilwale.

I am such a big fan that I even managed to convince my wife to pay a tribute to him and the greatest love story ever made the last time we went traveling around Europe.


Now I can't wait to witness the beauty of Prague that Imtiaz Ali will capture coupled with the magic that he will create with SRK and Anushka Sharma.

The ICC World Cup 2015 is over and it is that time again where everyone comes out with their best XI comprising the top performing players of the World Cup.

Martin Guptill, AB De Villiers, Kumar Sangakkara, Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult are the favourites that have featured in every World Cup Best XI out there. Surely we would have picked them too, but we felt that their were some performers that were better than them.

So here it is. Our Best XI of the ICC World Cup 2015.



























1. Big NAS

Matin Guptill and Shikhar Dhawan were undoubtedly the best openers in the World Cup. They collectively scored almost a 1,000 runs and both of them knocked two centuries each. But there was one batsman who did better than both of them. Big NAS tweeted over a 1,000 runs single handedly and more than half of those runs came with a tweet that was easily hit out of the park. He was undoubtedly the most in form batsman throughout the World Cup.

Big NAS will open the batting for our World Cup Best XI.

2. Mauka Mauka Man

The Star Sports #mauka ad campaign was such a huge hit during the World Cup that the man in the ad became the most popular household name during the tournament. While Sarfraz, Sangakkara, Dhawan, Boult, Guptill, and ABD all had two Man of the Match Awards each during this World Cup, the Mauka Mauka Man produced a match winning performance in every single ad that came out during the World Cup. That's about 8-9 man of the match awards alone.

We could not deny him the opportunity to open alongside Big NAS in our World Cup Best XI.

3. Mauka Mauka Spoof Man

For every #mauka ad released by Star Sports there was an equally powerful spoof released by Pakistani fans. While there were various contenders for our number 3 batsman, we put our faith in the one who hit last and who hit hardest with Ponka Ponka. For every opener like Amla, Guptill, Dhawan, Warner, Dilshan there is an equally effective one down batsman in Faf, Williamson, Kohli, Smith, and Sangakkara.

Similarly we believe that the best man to come at one down in our World Cup Best XI is the man behind Ponka Ponka, equally effective as our Mauka Mauka Man.

4. Hashtag #LetsRedo92 Inventor

#LetsRedo trended all over social media in the build up to  and throughout the World Cup. Similarities from the birthplace of Pakistan's captain to the prime minister of the country were used to state that this would be Pakistan's World Cup. Sangakkara hit 4 centuries in this World Cup, while there were 5 other batsmen who hit two each. Overall there were 38 centuries scored in this world cup, which was more centuries than in any other World Cup.

#LetsRedo92 alone came up with more similarities than 38 during this tournament. I reckon the number was double but it was probably close to a 100, challenging Sachin's international record of 100 centuries across formats.

Any batsman that can challenge Sachin Tendulkar's record is worth his weight in gold and hence the inventor of #LetsRedo92 is the one for the all important number 4 position in our batting line up.

5. Drop-In Pitch Doctor

Gone are the days when batting in Australia was a challenge. 300 was regularly scored during the World Cup. 300 was also chased. There were 3 scores of over 400. 38 centuries were scored, which included 2 double centuries. 463 sixes were hit during the tournament. No other World Cup has seen such dominance with the bat.

There was only one man behind all these batting wonders - the Drop-In Pitch Doctor, who ensured batsman friendly pitches and a feast of runs. Anyone who can ensure such a feast with the bat cannot be left out of any batting order and he finds a spot at number 5 in our World Cup Best XI.

6. Selfie Creator

Ahmed Shehzad is popularly known as selfie. In the build up to this World Cup the internet was abuzz with various Shehzad and Afridi selfies. They made selfies such a craze that the ICC decided that every Man of the Match during the course of the tournament will post for a selfie in their Twitter Mirror.


There were 463 sixes hit during the World Cup. Gayle alone hit 25 of those, while ABD hit 21. The number of selfies clicked in this World Cup was more than the sixes hit by Gayle and ABD combined! Such a hard hitter is a must have in our World Cup Best XI and the number 6 spot is his.

7. The Man who cried "That wasn't a No Ball"

Only one decision came in between Bangladesh winning the World Cup and getting knocked out in the Quarterfinals. The No Ball that wasn't! Everyone including the ICC President cried foul and maintained that the No Ball that wasn't is what caused Bangladesh's defeat in the Quarterfinal. We are sure that it wasn't a no ball but the man who cried most and maintained that Bangladesh would have gone on to win the World Cup if wasn't given a no ball stumped more people than Brad Haddin, MS Dhoni, and Luke Ronchi combined.

The man who cried "that wasn't a no ball" will be the wicketkeeper of our Best XI.

8. Anushka Sharma

There were several single handed performances that took teams to victory in games during the World Cup. Wahab Riaz vs Zimbabwe, Trent Boult vs Australia, Tim Southee vs England to name a few. But none of these bowlers manage to bowl anyone over the way Anushka Sharma did. She was so effective that she was considered the main reason Australia qualified for the Final of the World Cup. She made only one appearance in the World Cup and that was enough to shatter the dreams of a billion people around the world.

She will be our team's main strike bowler and due to her ability to hit big blows with the bat she is the best option for number 8.