IPL 2026: Why Was Shah Rukh Khan Missing From KKR Matches? Actor’s Team Gets Knocked Out of Playoffs Race
Why has Shah Rukh Khan been missing from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches? The Bollywood superstar is usually seen in the fixtures of his team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), cheering the team on. Throughout April and May 2026, SRK has hardly been seen in the stadia. The reason being the actor has been shooting for his film 'King' in South Africa.
Why has Shah Rukh Khan been missing from the matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026? The Bollywood superstar is usually seen in the fixtures of his team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), cheering the team on. Over the years, SRK’s children, Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan and AbRam Khan, have also been spotted at the matches in the cricket stadium. IPL 2026: Shah Rukh Khan Attends KKR vs PBKS Clash With Daughter Suhana Khan at Eden Gardens, ‘King’ Actor Grabs Attention With His Hair Colour (See Pics).
However, throughout April and May 2026, SRK has hardly been seen in the stadia. After his appearance with daughter Suhana Khan at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in April for the KKR vs PBKS IPL match, Shah Rukh Khan has been Missing in Action (MIA). We are sure the KKR team has been missing the encouragement he provides, irrespective of the outcome of the match. Well, here’s the reason why SRK was absent for most of the KKR matches in IPL 2026.
SRK Shooting for ‘King’ With Deepika Padukone Abroad
It’s not that Shah Rukh does not want to support his team in the IPL. It’s just that work commitments involving his acting work have kept him busy. The actor’s sporadic attendance at KKR matches has largely been due to the shooting schedule of his upcoming film. The movie that is taking up his time in the summer is the much-hyped King, directed by Siddharth Anand. King stars Deepika Padukone and Suhana Khan. In early May, a leaked video of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone went viral, in which they were spotted supposedly shooting for a romantic song for King on a beach. The video was reportedly from Cape Town in South Africa. ‘King’: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone Shoot Romantic Dance Sequence on Beach in LEAKED Video – WATCH.
It also showed a glimpse of Ranveer Singh holding daughter Dua Padukone Singh, as Momma Padukone shot for the song with SRK. As per the latest buzz, King is rumoured to have a cameo appearance by Dippy's husband, the Dhurandhar actor Ranveer Singh! ‘King’ Shoot Leaked Video: Fans Spot Ranveer Singh and Daughter Dua on Set As Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone Film Romantic Song (Watch).
After the leak, director Siddharth Anand requested netizens to stop sharing it. However, the video and screenshots from it were already circulated everywhere online.
Siddharth Anand Statement on Leaked Video of ‘King’ – See Post:
— Siddharth Anand (@justSidAnand) May 1, 2026
Before that, another video showing SRK being chivalrous to a pregnant Deepika Padukone on the sets of King had also gone viral. The good thing is that the leaked videos confirmed to fans that SRK has been MIA in the cricket scenario because of his work commitments to King, the actioner whose teaser had aroused a great amount of praise and curiosity about the film. Shah Rukh Khan and Pregnant Deepika Padukone’s Viral Video: SRK Praised for Supporting Co-Star on ‘King’ Set (Watch).
KKR Out of IPL 2026 Finale Race
As per ESPNcricinfo, KKR has been knocked out of the IPL 2026 playoffs race as of May 24, 2026, finishing their campaign with 13 points from 14 matches. The Kolkata team cannot enter the IPL 2026 finale, as it has been eliminated in the league stage. They have no remaining matches, and they are out of the tournament. Shah Rukh Khan Reportedly Nears 90% Ownership of KKR; Set to Buy Majority Stakes from Mehta Group.
As the IPL 2026 Finale nears (on May 31), SRK may strategically choose to appear at a key fixture of the 19th IPL, whether it involves KKR or not.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2026 06:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
