Shah Rukh Khan has slowly turned into one of the biggest pillars of the success of the Indian Premier League. His backing has helped Kolkata Knight Riders get three IPL titles and become the third-most successful franchise in the league. More often than not, SRK is also seen cheering for his team from the stands whenever the players come into action during the course of the year. Shah Rukh’s support to players like Rinku Singh has also been praised by many people. However, according to former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, KKR wasn’t his first-choice franchise for buying.
Shah Rukh Khan has been the loyal servant of the league, using just his own presence around the globe to help the T20 cricketing spectacle grow. Sharing an interesting incident, Lalit Modi narrated how he got in touch with SRK and made him invest in the IPL
“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 has been quoted by Filmfare.
Modi said, despite not knowing cricket Shah Rukh Khan went for a team. But it is a fact that he was never his first choice, KKR was, however, Mumbai Indians was the franchise which was intended to eventually go to the Ambanis.
“Shah Rukh Khan bid for a team, even though he didn’t know anything about cricket,” added Lalit Modi
“Initially, he liked Mumbai, but Mukesh Ambani grabbed it. The last choice was Kolkata. Shah Rukh’s strength has been in making cricket a fun outing for women and children. It became a necessity for IPL to succeed-bringing them into the stadium. Music, cheerleaders, and a festival-like atmosphere added that flavor of celebration-turned event,” compared Modi.
Amidst all this, more Bollywood celebrities were trying to get into IPL after they saw Shah Rukh taking up one franchise.
“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. This made it more than cricket; Shah Rukh made it a cultural movement,” he stated.
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