When Bollywood stars Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh Khan entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 with their team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they had no idea of the struggles ahead. The early years were rough, with KKR enduring a series of defeats that left the owners frustrated. But while many blamed poor performances and bad strategies, Juhi believed there was another reason behind the misfortunes—KKR’s black jerseys.
As revealed in the documentary Living with KKR, Juhi’s husband and co-owner Jay Mehta recalled how she became convinced that the color black was bringing bad luck to the team. “After we came back from South Africa with our famous losing streak, Juhi suddenly tells me, ‘I am superstitious about black as a colour and I think black is unlucky for KKR.’” He and Shah Rukh initially laughed it off, dismissing the idea as absurd. “What nonsense!” was their immediate reaction.
Juhi, however, remained firm in her belief. “I had something about that black. I was like, ‘This colour is not contributing to the energy of the team.’ When things were really bad, I came down hard on this. I said, ‘No, we have to change the colour, not black.’” Eventually, KKR adopted purple jerseys, and interestingly, their performances began to improve.
Juhi Chawla later admitted that she was never fond of the black and gold combination from the start. Recalling the early days at a Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry event, she shared how everything about the team, from the anthem to the jersey design, was decided at Shah Rukh’s house. “Shah Rukh made it black and gold, and I was not happy with it. I thought, ‘What is this black and gold?’ Because black is considered inauspicious, isn’t it?”
While some may dismiss it as mere coincidence, Juhi’s superstition remains a fascinating part of KKR’s history—one that seemingly marked a turning point in their journey from underdogs to champions!
