When it comes to the game, Rahul Dravid is very assertive and does what he thinks is best for the team, says Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty. In a chat, the Bollywood actress talks about IPL, weight loss and son Viaan.

While Rajasthan Royals’ former captain Shane Warne was flamboyant, Rahul Dravid is more understated as a skipper. Quite different personalities, no?

Dravid is cooler than Warne! When it comes to the game, he is very assertive and does what he thinks is best for the team. Off the field too, he is a genuinely good person. On the other hand, Shane has always been supportive. He taught me how to play poker. He has contributed immensely but now that Dravid is our skipper, we believe in him completely.

Under his captaincy, the team did really well last season, too. You’ve lost 19 kilos in three months! After I delivered my baby, I couldn’t fit into any of the designer dresses. Honestly, no designer makes dresses for XL sizes! I looked like a baby elephant! From size eight, I became size 14! I lost all the excess weight within three-and-a-half months, thanks to Yoga and crossfit training.

Are you superstitious when it comes to your team?

I could get idiotic. From wearing two watches on the same hand to wearing the same sweaty jersey for a couple of matches when the IPL was in South Africa, to now believing my son is the lucky charm, I am superstitious.

Is your son Viaan doing fine now? How is he coping with the Jaipur heat?

Viaan was down with high fever some time back, but he is absolutely fine now. Given the Jaipur heat, he will only attend the evening matches. I cannot travel across the country with him, so we will only attend our home matches in Jaipur, a couple in Bangalore, since my family is there, and probably one in Mumbai. Every one’s excited to meet him.

We don’t see you do the victory laps like Shah Rukh Khan?

I was on a break for two years. But now that I am back, you will see me doing it, too. I really appreciate the cricketers. We change two flights and feel tired. These boys get onto the field and play in the sun for hours. Their fitness levels are really high. I also believe that our current team is equivalent to the tournament-winning one in the first season. We are a balanced side.