table of contents
Shahrukh Khan and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are two of the biggest stories of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But years before KKR became one of the most successful and popular teams in the tournament, Shah Rukh Khan was unsure about actually buying the franchise.
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has revealed how the Bollywood superstar almost walked away from an opportunity that ultimately became one of the biggest success stories in IPL history.
When the idea of ​​IPL came into his life, Shahrukh was among the Indian superstars who were approached to buy an IPL franchise but he had many doubts in his mind as no one knew whether it would be a hit or a complete failure. But a big turn came during an international cricket match in Jaipur.
Lalit Modi reveals the untold story as Shahrukh Khan almost said ‘no’ to KKR
Recently Lalit Modi revealed that when he was the Vice President of BCCI, he took Shahrukh to the first international match played in Jaipur. At that time, the IPL had not started, and he witnessed something extraordinary. The excitement of the crowd around the Bollywood superstar was incredible.
Also Read: Differences between Tom Moody-Rishabh Pant lead to the collapse of LSG’s IPL 2026! The whole story came out
Fans were going crazy to get a glimpse of Shahrukh and his presence became the biggest attraction of the event. He realized that bringing together cricket and Bollywood could lead to something bigger than traditional sports leagues, as they could attract millions of additional viewers and make the tournament a complete entertainment package.
At the time, evening television in India was dominated by daily serials and Bollywood-based programmes. Modi understood that if he wanted to make IPL a success in prime time, it needed star power along with cricket, and he decided to convince Shahrukh Khan to take up a franchise.
When Shahrukh was not ready to invest Rs 20 crore
However, the actor was not ready to invest such a huge amount in a sport which he did not follow closely. Humans of Bombay quoted Lalit Modi as saying, “Who could be better than Shahrukh Khan to own a team? The funny thing was that Shahrukh didn’t like cricket and he didn’t really understand cricket. He is a football fan.”
When I told him I wanted him to buy a team, he was skeptical. He said, ‘I don’t understand cricket.’ I told him to leave it all to me and I will ensure that the right team and system is created. He asked me, ‘If I make a team win, how much will it cost?’ I told him that the down payment would be Rs 20 crores. He replied, ‘But it is a big part of my savings account.’
To solve this problem, the former IPL chairman made a unique plan which worked. A sponsorship arrangement between mobile handset company Nokia and the Bollywood icon made the investment possible, with Modi saying Shahrukh got the franchise for free.
Modi further explained, “A mobile company was desperate to make Shahrukh their brand ambassador, but he was not interested. I could not interfere in their advertising business. So, I asked a mobile company, if Shahrukh were to make a team win, would they sponsor the front of the jersey?”
ALSO READ: Pat Cummins hints at leaving Kavya Maran and SRH ahead of IPL 2027
I told him I could guarantee that Shahrukh would wear his shirt and hat and asked if he would pay an advance of $5 million. He said yes. If Shahrukh had a team then it would be beneficial for any mobile company. If a mobile company became the front-shirt sponsor, it was beneficial for Shahrukh. “They basically bought it for free.”
How Shahrukh Khan came on board in a few hours!
Once the sponsorship deal was finalized, Shahrukh came on board and thus Kolkata Knight Riders was established. “Shah Rukh put in the money, and a mobile company backed it. At 12 o’clock, Shah Rukh wrote a cheque. By evening, a mobile company wrote another check to sponsor the KKR consortium. It went very well,” Modi said.
Lalit Modi in his latest interview -: I took Shahrukh to a Rajasthan International game which was much before the IPL in Jaipur and as soon as he appeared in the stadium, the entire crowd started shouting for him, he was the highlight of the entire match, that was the moment I decided… pic.twitter.com/XEAYn9u6Y3
-efficient. (@mythicbxrn) June 2, 2026
the rest is history. Along with co-owners Juhi Chawla and Jai Mehta (45% stake), Shahrukh (55% stake) turned the KKR franchise into one of the most successful teams in the world. The franchise has won three IPL trophies and garnered a huge fan following across the globe.
