When the Indian Premier League was still a bold idea on paper, convincing celebrities to invest in cricket teams was far from easy. Former IPL chairman and ex-BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi has now shared how Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan initially hesitated to buy what would later become one of the league’s most successful franchises, the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Speaking in an interview with Humans of Bombay, Modi recalled how a combination of cricket, entertainment, and a clever sponsorship arrangement eventually helped bring the actor into the IPL fold.
How a Jaipur match helped turn Shah Rukh Khan into an IPL team owner
According to Modi, the turning point came before the IPL was launched. He took Shah Rukh Khan to an international cricket match in Jaipur and witnessed a crowd reaction that changed his thinking about the future of Indian cricket.
“I took Shah Rukh to a game in Rajasthan when I was BCCI vice-president. It was the first international match ever played in Jaipur. This was before the IPL; I think about a year earlier. I saw the crowds go absolutely hysterical when he arrived. He became the highlight of the match," he said in an interview with Humans Of Bombay.
