The Initial Pitch That Almost Didn’t Happen
Before the Indian Premier League became the entertainment juggernaut it is today, its creator Lalit Modi had a vision that blended cricket with Bollywood star power. And who better to lead that charge than Shah Rukh Khan? But in a recent tell-all, Modi revealed that getting SRK on board wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Modi shared how he first took Shah Rukh to an international match in Jaipur, before the IPL even existed. The crowd went absolutely crazy when SRK showed up — the star became the highlight of the match. That’s when Modi knew: cricket and Bollywood together could create something unprecedented. But when he pitched the idea of owning a team to SRK, the actor was skeptical. ‘I don’t understand cricket,’ SRK reportedly told him. ‘I’m a football fan.’ Modi assured him he’d handle the cricketing side, leaving SRK to just be the face.
Rs 20 Crore — A Savings Account Dilemma
Even though SRK was intrigued, the financial aspect gave him pause. According to Modi, when the actor asked about the down payment and learned it would be Rs 20 crore, his response was telling: ‘But that’s a big part of my savings account.’ That’s quite a statement from one of Bollywood’s biggest earners, but it shows how big a gamble the IPL was in its early days.
This is where things got interesting. A mobile handset company was desperate to have Shah Rukh as their brand ambassador, but he wasn’t interested. Modi, unable to meddle in SRK’s endorsement deals, came up with a different plan. He approached the company and asked if they would sponsor the front of the KKR jersey if SRK won a team. They agreed to pay a $5 million advance, with the condition that SRK would wear their gear. ‘It was a win-win for everyone,’ Modi claimed. ‘SRK basically bought the team for free.’
The Cheque That Changed IPL History
The entire deal came together at lightning speed. Modi recounted that SRK wrote a cheque at 12 noon, and by evening, the mobile company had written another cheque to sponsor the KKR consortium. It fell into place beautifully. King Khan co-owns Kolkata Knight Riders alongside Juhi Chawla and businessman Jay Mehta, and the franchise has since become one of the IPL’s most successful and valuable teams, with multiple championships and a fanbase that stretches far beyond India.
Looking back, it’s wild to think that the biggest superstar in Bollywood almost passed on the chance to own a cricket team because of financial doubts. But as they say, the rest is history — and KKR’s purple and gold legacy is proof that sometimes, the best decisions come after a little hesitation.