"He will always be there in spirit if not in person," was Venky's reply when asked how far the team's morale would be affected by Shah Rukh's absence.
"So even if he is not there we know he is solidly behind us. Its always great to have him amongst us but there are other commitments also," Venky said.
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Shah Rukh was banned for five years from entering MCA premises, including the Wankhede Stadium, on May 18 last year after he was involved in a skirmish with security staff and officials of the cricket body following KKR's victory over MI two nights earlier.
Shah Rukh, however, denied he had misbehaved, and maintained that he reacted only after children, including his kids, were "manhandled" by the security staff at the stadium.