Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has revealed that ghar ki biryani is the secret recipe behind the success of Yusuf Pathan in the current Indian Premier League, reports Delhi Times.
Shilpa told Delhi Times: "IPL is an unpredictable game. The format is such that one doesn't know what to expect next. Many thought that the first win was a fluke. Now, it makes me very proud to receive the congratulatory messages."
About her frustatration with the losses that Rajasthan Royals suffered in IPL3, Shilpa said: "We are very proud owners and not easily flummoxed by losses. We began with a bang. But what became a cause of concern more than the losses was when the injuries of the players started setting in. Thankfully, Shane (Warne) – the magician that he is – juggled a few players and things started falling into place. Shane has a vision and we just followed his sensibilities. Our players might not be big names, but they are talented'.
Q: What do you think is working for the team – a strategy or would you like to believe your marriage to Raj Kundra seems to be reaping the benefits?
A: My marriage has nothing to do with it. I think it's the prayers and the players' hard work that's yielding such results. I certainly can't take credit for their hard work. In fact, after the initial losses, many had lost faith in Team Jaipur. But with the team's current performance, examples are being cited as to how a comeback can be made.
Q: Andrew Symonds has started a fresh controversy, with Yusuf Pathan accusing him of indulging in sledging. Why do you think Indians are made such soft targets?
A: Sledging has always been a part of cricket. In fact, there are entire books devoted to sledging. I don't think this incident was racist or out of the ordinary. But one certainly has to know where to draw the line. In fact, after seeing Yusuf's fitting reply through his performance, I've told him that I'm going to ask people to sledge him more (laughs).
Q: While on Yusuf, you had tweeted how Yusuf's family had treated you guys to mutton biryani…
A: We are one big family and we all come together whenever we have time.As for this incident, we'd won the match and had another game the next day. Yusuf asked for biryani from his family and to our surprise, it was one big handi that was sent to us! I joked to Yusuf, ‘Now I know the secret of your sixes'.
Q:How do you boost the team's morale?
A: I don't need to do that. They are all great players and don't need to be given a boost. I simply make sure that I give them their space. All I tell them is, ‘Make yourself so valuable that people clamour to buy you in the next season'.
Q:With so many Bollywood celebs involved in IPL, does winning or losing become a prestige issue?
A: At least for me, this has never been the case. It's just that such things are great for media to talk about. Speaking of myself, I can say that whenever Team Jaipur is playing against any team, I want my team to win. And honestly speaking, as long as people enjoy
