StaffIn 2007, when the Indian board of cricket known as BCCI established the format of the Indian Premier League which will have eight Indian city-based teams competing against each other in a league format with the top 4 teams going to the semi-finals and fighting to lift the trophy, there was a major buzz around the country for it and several teams submitted their bids to participate in the tournament.
The teams had to be allotted to specific owners who will take their team to new levels and help fund them to achieve great results and bring laurels to the team. With the 13th edition of this exciting T20 league starting from today, let us take a look at all the honorable team owners of all the 8 teams participating in the 2020 IPL:
Chennai Super Kings – The 3-time champions were originally sold to India Cements for $91 million in 2008 with former ICC chairman N. Srinivasan being the de facto owner of the team as he was also the vice-chairman and the managing director of India Cements. They were given ownership for a total of 10 years. The ownership was then transferred to a separate group called Chennai Super Kings Ltd. When the Supreme Court in 2015 amended the clause in BCCI’s constitution of ownership rules and forbid any board officials to have a commercial interest in the leagues.
Delhi Capitals – After being bought by the property development company GMR Group in 2008 for about $84 Million, the team has tried its level best to make it to the final and lift the coveted trophy for their team but have been unsuccessful so far. In March 2018, they sold 50% stake of the team to JSW Sports for $77 Million. They also changed their name from the Delhi Daredevils to the Delhi Capitals in December, 2018 and will surely hope that this season will be their maiden trophy year.
Kings XI Punjab – The Kings XI Punjab team was originally bought by a group of owners – Dabur Group’s Mohit Burman (46%), The Wadia group’s Ness Wadia (23%), Preity Zinta (23%) and Saptarshi Dey of the Dey & Dey group (minor stake). They together bought the team for a total of $76 million. They were expelled from the league with their franchise contract being cancelled due to the controversies surrounding BCCI and Lalit Modi in 2010 but were later reinstated to the league again after appealing to the High Court. The owners list has changed a little now with Karan Paul from the Apeejay Surrendra group replacing Saptarshi Dey as co-owner of the team.
Kolkata Knight Riders – 2-time winners KKR were bought by Bollywood Superstar Shahrukh Khan’s company Red Chillies entertainment along with Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta for a total of $75.09 Million. They also have a stake in the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders.
Mumbai Indians – The most successful team in the history of this competition was bought by Reliance Industries Ltd. For $111.9 Million making it the most expensive team in the IPL. Owned by Businessman Mukesh Ambani, it was then named Mumbai Indians. The team will be looking to put their hands on another trophy this year and make their brand value soar even higher.
Rajasthan Royals – Having won the IPL once, Rajasthan Royals will be looking to relive the success this year by winning it again. The IPL team was bought by Emerging Media in 2008. The team was owned by Manoj Badale and now has some co-owners as well which are Amisha Hathiramani from Tesco International Ltd., Luchlon Murdoch from Blue Water Estate Ltd., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty from Kuki Investments and former cricketer Shane Warne.
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Despite having a star-studded lineup of players in their team, they have still not been able to win the tournament and will look to go all guns blazing this year under Virat Kohli’s leadership. The RCB franchise was bought by Vijay Mallya for a reported bid of $111.6 Million which was only second to the bid of Mumbai Indians at the time. Their estimated brand value in 2019 was reported to be around $83 Million.
Sun Risers Hyderabad – The team was formed when they replaced the Deccan Chargers in 2012 and debuted in the IPL in 2013. They are owned by the Sun TV Network after the Deccan Chronicle went bankrupt. The Sun TV Network won ownership by submitting the bid of $12 Million per year for a five-year deal. They have even won the tournament once and will be looking to have a go at it again this season with all their might.
