Chandigarh, Apr 15: In a delightful culinary crossover celebrating Poila Baisakh (Bengali New Year), KKR's cooking show 'Knight Bite' featured South African cricketers Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje alongside Indian star Manish Pandey for a special fusion cooking session ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings.

The episode showcased the cricketers trying their hand at preparing 'paturi' - a traditional Bengali dish where fish or prawns are wrapped in banana leaves and grilled - but with a South African twist using peri-peri marinade.

When asked about his kitchen experience, Quinton de Kock surprised everyone with his response, "I live in the kitchen back home. My wife chills, I do all the cooking." The South African wicketkeeper seemed quite comfortable with the cooking process, even as his teammate Nortje admitted it was his 'first time in the kitchen in a very long time'.

Both South African cricketers revealed their love for fishing, with de Kock explaining what draws him to the sport: "The adrenaline rush you get from it... places around the world you go to... I've been all over like the Amazon, St. Charles, and going to mid-Africa for a good time with friends," creating a perfect connection to the cooking session where they prepared fish they didn't have to catch.

The cooking session featured a unique fusion — a traditional Bengali paturi with a South African peri-peri marinade. The cricketers wrapped fish and prawns in banana leaves before grilling them in the air fryer.

Adding star power to the cooking session, Manish Pandey joined the group. Reflecting on joining KKR, with whom he has won the TATA IPL in 2014, while delivering a player of the match performance, the veteran batter shared: "My first time for KKR and my first trophy also, so it was a lot of fun. The entire season we worked hard, and then final game, luckily that match was in Bangalore and because I live in Bangalore, it was a very memorable moment."

Adding enthusiastically about the team's prospects, he said, "The way everybody played last year was unbelievable, and I really hope the boys are ready to play and get another trophy this season also."

As the cricketers tasted their culinary creation, they seemed impressed with the result. When asked if the dish was spicy, de Kock casually replied, "No, not for me," showcasing his comfort with Indian flavours. The episode concluded with a cheerful toast to Bengali New Year, with the South African players even attempting to say "Shubho Nobo Borsho" (Happy New Year in Bengali).

(IANS)

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