IPL 2020: Kolkata Knight Riders Co-Owner Shah Rukh Khan Unveils New Fan Campaign, Urges Fans To Back Franchise

IPL 2020 UAE, KKR Fan Campaigns | In an interview, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik said that the franchise will for sure miss the energy of the fans at the iconic Eden Gardens during IPL games but said that they will try to connect with their fans virtually this season.

Photo: AFP

The 13th edition of the IPL will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah -- over 53 days from September 9 to November 10. UAE is hosting the IPL for the second time as earlier in 2014 the T20 tournament took place in UAE partially due to the Lok Sabha elections in India.

Two time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are one of the most loved and followed franchises with a very strong fan base across the globe. Last season, KKR finished the league on the fifth spot with 12 points and will definitely look to improve this season under wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik's captaincy.

Meanwhile, Knight Riders' co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday unveiled the new campaign for the franchise. "@kkriders #HaiTaiyaar... come on, let's get behind our Knights and support them through this season! #TuFanNahiToofanHai," Shah Rukh wrote in a social media post. While explaining the new campaign, KKR said: "This year, the Knight Riders have only one chant and one salute, and it's all about you. Tu jaan le tu kaun hai, #TuFanNahiToofanHai"

IPL 2020 was supposed to take place in India, but got postpone due to Coronavirus pandemic and later the IPL Governing Council finally decided to stage the T20 tournament outside India in UAE. All the games will be played inside a secure-bio bubble without any spectators in the the stadium.

In an interview, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik said that the franchise will for sure miss the energy of the fans at the iconic Eden Gardens during IPL games but said that they will try to connect with their fans virtually this season. "We will be missing our fans this year and the energy of Eden Gardens. We wanted to communicate directly with KKR fans, and wanted to convey what they mean to us. We do understand that they can't be here in person with us, but they will be in our hearts," Karthik said.

The first game of the tournament will be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from September 19. KKR will begin their IPL campaign against MI from September 22.