Billionaire businessmen, Bollywood superstars and European investments firms all feature in the list of Indian Premier League team owners.
The T20 competition has taken the world by storm and changed the face of cricket since its maiden season in 2008.
Players are earning more than ever before and much of that is down to significant investment on the part of the owners.
But where is the money coming from?
Managing director of India Cements Limited, N. Srinivasan has amassed considerable wealth and boasts vast experience as a sporting administrator.
The Chennai Super Kings owner has been a major powerbroker in world cricket, having previously been Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Srinivasan’s net worth is estimated at 7.4 billion rupees (£75 million/US$90 million/AU$130 million).
Delhi Capitals are jointly owned by GMR group and the JSW group, each having a 50 per cent stake in the team.
Parth Jindal, representing JSW, and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, representing GMR, oversee the administration of Delhi Capitals.
Gujarat Titans
Luxembourg-based private equity and investment advisory firm, CVC Capital Partners, purchased Gujarat ahead of their introduction to the competition in 2021.
Steve Koltes, Donald Mackenzie, Rolly van Rappard are co-chairmen of the company.
CVC Capital Partners boast total assets worth around £117 billion (US$141 billion, AU$207 billion)
Since the competition’s first season, KKR has been co-owned and managed by Red Chillies Entertainment, the company of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Khan’s company purchased the team alongside another Bollywood name in actress Juhi Chawla and her husband, Jay Mehta, chairman of powerful conglomerate, Mehta Group.
The Super Giants are owned by Indian entrepreneur Sanjiv Goenka.
Founder and chairman of RPSG Group, a conglomerate with a revenue of US$4.3 billion.
Mumbai are owned by Indiawin Sports, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company.
Mukesh Ambani is chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.
As of February 2023, the 65-year-old is among the top 10 richest people in the world, with a net worth of more than US$80 billion.
Punjab are owned by a group of three businessmen (Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul) and actress (Preity Zinta).
In 13 IPL seasons, they are yet to win a title and have only qualified for the finals twice.
Manoj Badale, of Emerging Media, owns a majority 65 per cent stake in Rajasthan Royals.
Lachlan Murdoch, the son of Rupert Murdoch, is also a minority stakeholder in the company.
Actress Shilpa Shetty has previously been part of the ownership but sold her stake in 2015.
Shane Warne, who led the Royals to the title in the first season of the IPL, also owned a small percentage of the team prior to his tragic passing in 2022.
Indian alcoholic beverage company, United Spirits, owns RCB.
The team is named after one of the company’s brands – Royal Challenge whisky.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are owned by SUN Group, India’s largest media and entertainment company.
SUN Group was founded and is owned by Kalanithi Maran, whose net worth is listed at US$2.3 billion.
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