Thanks to the habit of speaking his mind while executing his duties as a media professional, Sunil Gavaskar has lost out on many friends from the cricketing fraternity.

Shah Rukh Khan will not join that list of lost friends despite reacting to Gavaskar's criticism of Kolkata Knight Riders' coach John Buchanan.

Reacting to Gavaskar's column which rubbished Buchanan's coaching methods, King Khan, the KKR owner, had said: "I am the owner of the team, I bought it. If he wants to implement something, let him buy a team."

However, last night batting legend Gavaskar told MiD DAY on arrival from the United States that he's forgiven SRK for everything.

"He (Shah Rukh) did something truly wonderful for my niece on live television when India was playing in England in 2007. For that, I forgive him for anything he says."

Gavaskar was referring to a gesture by SRK during India's Test series in England two years ago when the actor surprised Gavaskar's niece Tia on air.

When both the legends were doing a live show during the Oval Test, Gavaskar told SRK that his niece was, like thousands of other youngsters, a big fan of his.

Gavaskar then asked Shah Rukh if he could ask his niece "whose bebdoo (kiddo) are you, Kaku's (uncle's) or mine?" something that Gavaskar always asked his niece during her childhood whether she was a kiddo of his or her parents and the actor immediately obliged.

While it would be better if Gavaskar's point about promoting Indian coaches in the Indian Premier League is taken well by some franchise owners, one will have to wait for little over a week to know whether both Gavaskar and SRK have taken each other's comments in the right spirit... when they will come face to face in South Africa ahead of the IPL.