Overview
- According to Puja Pujara’s The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife, Cheteshwar Pujara tore his ACL during a Kolkata Knight Riders practice match in 2009/2010 and was ruled out before making an appearance.
- Reports cite the book’s account that KKR assumed responsibility for costs, arranged surgery in Cape Town, and managed passports, visas, and travel.
- Pujara’s father is quoted saying Shah Rukh Khan personally urged surgery in South Africa and offered to fly relatives or a trusted doctor to support the player.
- A successful operation is described in the book, after which Pujara recovered, debuted in Tests in 2010, and built a long India career before retiring in 2025.
- The story now circulating across Indian media is sourced to the new book, with minor discrepancies in coverage over whether Pujara had played any KKR matches at the time.