Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi went back to the foundation of the league, and how Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan had a big hand in making the tournament more popular.
In an interview, Lalit Modi revealed how KKR was not the first choice as an IPL team for Shah Rukh Khan, since he wanted to have a stake in Mumbai Indians. Before the IPL began in 2008, Shah Rukh Khan had bought KKR with his close friend Juhi Chawla for reportedly INR 570 crore.
When speaking to Raj Shamani on his podcast, Lalit Modi called Shah Rukh Khan to be the “pillar” of IPL, along with giving him the credit 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,” he added
During the podcast, Lalit Modi also revealed that Shah Rukh Khan had his eyes set on Mumbai Indians, but since Mukesh Ambani already did the honours, the Bollywood actor went with KKR.
“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.
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