According to Lalit, “two things worked in India”, Bollywood and cricket. He decided to make Shah Rukh own a team. The Jawan actor’s involvement was essential to draw people to the stadium, especially women and children and create a strong connection with the audience. Initially, Shah Rukh considered bidding for teams based in Ahmedabad or Mumbai but ultimately secured Kolkata. His presence brought a new dynamic to the league, making it a widespread phenomenon.
He recalled, “…To be Shah Rukh was going to be able to bring women and children into the game… I said to get people into the stadium I need Shah Rukh Khan. So he got people into the stadium.” Lalit recounted how he convinced Shah Rukh to commit to IPL events despite the actor’s busy film schedule. When Lalit emphasized that IPL was bigger than his movies, Shah Rukh laughed but eventually agreed, demonstrating the trust he placed in Lalit’s vision.
About Kolkata Knight Riders
Founded in 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) represent the city of Kolkata in the Indian Premier League. The franchise is co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Jay Mehta. KKR reached the IPL playoffs for the first time in 2011 and clinched the championship titles in 2012, 2014, and 2024. SRK’s association with the team infused glamour and excitement into every match, attracting fans from all over India.
In IPL 2025 auction, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, KKR has retained Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana. It has bought players like Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton De Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande and Rovman Powell.
