Shilpa Shetty Kundra Conversation on IPL III

Rajasthan Royals saw Raj Kundra and you during the courtship period and now, they will be seeing you as a couple. Are there plans of celebration in the team?
I’m sure that is bound to happen,though we have not yet made any plans. We are one big family. Besides, no one could make it to the wedding.
Based on RR’s performance in IPL-II, do you have a strategy in place now?
Firstly, I don’t decide on the strategy, and even if we did have a strategy, I’d not be sharing it in public (laughs). Secondly, it’s all about the game and enjoying it. We have tried to combine experience with youth. It has never been about taking foreign players, though we have tried to incorporate young players from our country with potential, so that they
can utilise this platform and learn from it.
And how do you intend to market RR this time?
In the music video, Halla Bol, we have added our torchbearer, Muchhu Singh. We also have the trumpet (toteri), which we will be using off the field. Considering how RR loves to blow its own trumpet, we, as a team, decided on these concepts!
How much of an expert have you become at the game?
I can have a decent conversation with a sports journalist (laughs). I can now tell a square cut from a straight drive.
You are a businesswoman and Raj is a master in this trade. So, do you have arguments? Who has the final word?
There aren’t any arguments; discussion is more like it. And if he has a suggestion, there has to be some reason behind it. Moreover, this new avatar of mine is all thanks to Raj. When it comes to business, I’m the creative head, while my husband is the financial brain.
Do you think the Pak players issue is being unduly politicised?
I think we have already made our statement. It was never a contrived decision. As a team owner, I can say that there was too much of risk involved. Finally, we’re actors and not politicians.
Why are so many actors getting involved with the IPL?
Bollywood and cricket make a potent mix. It’s not that the IPL would not have been possible sans Bollywood. It’s just that actors add intrigue to it.
Could that be one reason why attempts are being made to rope in Bollywood for other sports, like hockey?
Why just hockey? It can be women’s cricket or football too. We can leverage a sport and things will improve once the game is properly encouraged and endorsed.
Finally, if your association for a sport is sought after, will it depend on the cause you’ve been singled out for, or on your knowledge of the game?
I’ve been a sports freak. I used to play volleyball. I have a strong association with cricket but I would love to endorse football. My husband is British and football is quite popular in his country too. In fact, he is a football fanatic.