The Indian Premier League (IPL) is widely regarded as the most celebrated cricketing event across the globe. Over the years, the cash-rich tournament has gone from strength to strength, creating new records of viewership, media rights and revenue.
However, there were doubts among the experts as how the auction and the league would pan out when it started in 2008. In fact, the cash-rich tournament didn’t yield the desired outcome for some franchises in the first few years.
Recently, renowned Indian cricket administrator Amrit Mathur narrated a remarkable anecdote from 2009, involving Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar and IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
Mathur disclosed how Akshay made an extraordinary sacrifice to relinquish his highly-lucrative contract, thereby rescuing the Delhi-based franchise from incurring losses.
"Akshay signed a three-year deal with Delhi Daredevils to shoot promotional films, attend meet and greet events and make appearances at corporate events... Apart from Kotla act (he performed daring stunts), nothing much happened because DD didn't know how to leverage him. At the end of the season, during elaborate post-mortem held against backdrop of serious financial losses, DD decided to cancel or renegotiate the contract," Mathur wrote in his autobiography 'Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket' published by Westland Sport.
"Akshay's contract provided no exit; on the contrary, it gave him solid guarantees for a period of three years. DD's lawyers approached Akshay's staff, wanting to revisit the contract, but they made no headway. The (legally correct) response from his side was that contract didn't factor in early termination and it has run its course with full monetary compensation," Mathur, a former BCCI General Manager, recalled in his book.
"Seen from perspective of DD, Akshay's multi-crore contract could be equated to a self-goal or hit-wicket dismissal. Considering the disastrous financial results and need for austerity, the star had become an avoidable expense. Knowing there was no legal lifeline available, DD appealed to Akshay for mercy."
In the wake of the challenging financial circumstances, Akshay displayed the king-sized heart of a superstar and decided to end his contract.
"After the shot, we returned to his vanity van and I, very hesitantly, explained the reason for my visit and outlined DD's financial troubles. No problem ji, he said in a sympathetic manner. If it's not working, let's close it'. I thought I hadn't heard him right," Mathur added in his book.
"Seeing my confused look, he clarified slowly, 'Isko khatam kar dete hain (let us end this)'. When I mumbled about the stringent contract clauses, he reassured me, 'Koi baat nahin, main lawyer ko bol dunga (No problem, I will tell the lawyer)."
