“I have always been a part of the glamor,” Lalit Modi began, as he narrated the story of Shah Rukh Khan’s entry into the IPL. “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,” he added.

Lalit Modi elaborated on Shah Rukh Khan’s influence, “Shah Rukh Khan bid for a team, even though he didn’t know anything about cricket.” Opening up on the actor’s first choice being Mumbai for his IPL team, he said, “His first choice was Mumbai, but Mukesh Ambani took that. Kolkata was his eventual pick. But Shah Rukh’s real contribution was in making cricket entertaining. He brought women and children into the stadiums, which was critical for IPL’s success. That’s why we had music, cheerleaders, and a festival-like atmosphere—he turned it into an event for everyone,” Modi said.