Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi revisited the inception of the cash-rich league and how Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan helped in making the tournament more popular. During an interview, Lalit Modi revealed how KKR wasn’t SRK’s first choice for an IPL team, as he wanted to have a stake in the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians. For the uninitiated, before the IPL began in 2008, Shah Rukh Khan along with his close friend Juhi Chawla, bought KKR for reportedly INR 570 crore.
While speaking to Raj Shamani on the latter’s podcast, Lalit Modi termed Shah Rukh Khan as the “pillar” of IPL and credited him for making cricket accessible to women and children, all over the world.
“Bollywood and cricket sell in this country. I have always been a part of the glamor. Shah Rukh Khan went to school with me; we are school friends. When I approached him for cricket, I didn’t know much about it myself, but I told him, ‘I just want you to be a part of it.’ He was the number one pillar for the IPL,” Lalit Modi said.
“Shah Rukh Khan bid for a team, even though he didn’t know anything about cricket,” added Lalit Modi.
‘Mumbai Indians was his first choice’
During the interview, Lalit Modi also revealed that Shah Rukh Khan really wanted to buy Mumbai Indians, but with Mukesh Ambani doing the honours, the ‘Pathaan’ actor went with KKR.
Over the years, KKR has emerged as one of the most profitable IPL franchises. The side has also won the tournament thrice.
“His first choice was Mumbai, but Mukesh Ambani took that. Kolkata was his eventual pick. But Shah Rukh’s real contribution was in making cricket entertaining. He brought women and children into the stadiums, which was critical for IPL’s success. That’s why we had music, cheerleaders, and a festival-like atmosphere—he turned it into an event for everyone,” said Lalit Modi.
“In year one, we had to beg or pay celebrities to come. By year two, they came on their own. After seeing Shah Rukh, everyone wanted in – Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, you name it. Shah Rukh’s presence turned the IPL into more than just cricket; it became a cultural movement,” he added.
Speaking about KKR, the franchise won the IPL for the third time earlier this year, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. However, the team has not retained its captain ahead of IPL 2025 auction, which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
KKR retained Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh. It needs to be seen who the team picks up in the mega auction, which will be held today and tomorrow.
The franchise will also have a new coaching staff for the next season as Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, are all involved with the senior India men’s team currently.
