N. Srinivasan, a former head of the BCCI and ICC, has been named chairman of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL). Only a few months prior to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2026 season auction, this decision was reached. The development comes after a time when the CSK franchise underwent significant upheaval.
When India Cements, the company’s originator and owner, sold its cement division to UltraTech in December 2024, Srinivasan and his family were momentarily removed from the franchise board. But in February 2025, Srinivasan and his daughter Rupa Gurunath returned to their roles as directors. According to CSKCL’s 2025 annual report, the 80-year-old administrator has now officially assumed the role of chairman, following his cousin R. Srinivasan.
In 2014, Srinivasan was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the ICC.
The primary architect behind the establishment of CSK in 2008 was Srinivasan. He played a key role in transforming the squad into one of the most prosperous in IPL history. Despite never having direct control over the team, his position as head of India Cements allowed him tremendous influence over the ethos and vision of CSK.
He had enormous influence as the BCCI president starting in 2011, but he was forced to resign amid the 2013 IPL spot-fixing incident, which also resulted in CSK’s two-year suspension. He went on to become the first-ever chairman of the ICC in 2014, but conflict-of-interest decisions in 2015 ended his term.
With the most recent reorganization, Srinivasan has returned to his position, while his reliable colleague K. S. Viswanathan will remain managing director of CSKCL until 2028. Rupa Gurunath, meanwhile, has been hired as a full-time director. But his return also raises questions about what would happen to MS Dhoni, the most recognizable member of CSK. Many have wondered if the team is already preparing for a change or if the new administration, led by Srinivasan, will give the great skipper the send-off he deserves as he likely approaches his final IPL season in 2026.
The Indian Premier League’s Season XVIII kicked off on March 22, 2025, and games were place from March to June of the same year. Even if your IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings, did not make it to the knockout stages, we are still hopeful for a successful return and better play in the following seasons.
By entering T20 leagues organized by other countries with its international franchises, such as the “Joburg Super Kings” in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 League and the “Texas Super Kings” in Major League Cricket in the United States of America, and by growing the number of its Cricket Academies overseas, the company is continuously broadening its global reach.
According to the company, it is also establishing, growing, and overseeing a number of sports academies and performance centers, with plans to expand these in the near future. In addition, CSK wishes to change its memorandum of association in order to make money off of the stadium, courts, play areas, and other facilities and properties it possesses. In its annual report, CSKCL stated that the proposal’s additional revenue would enhance the company’s current operations.
India
