IPL 2025: KKR fans bring Tifo culture to cricket, honour Shah Rukh Khan and team

Photo: AFP/X

In a first-of-its-kind show of support, Kolkata Knight Riders fans unveiled a massive Tifo at Eden Gardens ahead of their clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.

Tifos, large choreographed banners typically seen in European football stadiums, are a rarity in cricket, but KKR fans brought the vibrant tradition to the IPL stage. The tribute wasn't just for the team, but also for their iconic owner, Shah Rukh Khan.

Inspired by the hit Netflix series Money Heist, the creative display blended pop culture with cricket fandom, turning heads and electrifying the atmosphere at the iconic ground.

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, meanwhile, won the toss and elected to field first against Lucknow, who are placed sixth in the points table, whereas Kolkata are placed fifth, with both sides having won two and lost two. Notably, the team who win today, will move closer to finishing in top-4.

"We are going to bowl first. The wicket looks really good, it's not that hot. The wicket won't change much. One side boundary is small, that's why we are bowling first. Everyone is looking forward to this game. This game is all about starting fresh, need to take the positives, need to take one step at a time. People are going to talk about it, we know Quinny and Sunil are match-winners. We are not worried about them. Spencer comes in place of Moeen," said Rahane, at the toss.

"Wouldn't say very happy. Not thinking about the past too much. Will take the positives and move forward. As a team we are winning and as a captain I am happy. We are playing with the same playing XI," LSG captain Rishabh Pant said.

With a few new faces in the squad and slight changes in management, KKR is striving hard to keep the winning momentum on their side.

KKR vs LSG: Teams

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Mayank Markande, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Chetan Sakariya.

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Akash Singh, Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Himmat Singh, Shamar Joseph, Aryan Juyal, Arshin Kulkarni, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Nicholas Pooran, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Manimaran Siddharth, Shardul Thakur and Mayank Yadav