Srinivasan back at the helm of CSK
Following a season where the Chennai Super Kings finished at the bottom of the IPL table, CSK have confirmed the appointment of Narayanaswami Srinivasan (commonly known as “N. Srinivasan”) as chairman of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL), marking his formal return to sports administration and succeeding his cousin R Srinivasan. Srinivasan and his daughter, Rupa Gurunath, were also named additional directors of the company effective February 10, 2025, with resolutions for permanent appointments to be presented at the upcoming AGM.
According to multiple reports, Srinivasan’s position on the CSK board is his first since exiting India Cements following Ultratech’s acquisition of his stake in December 2024. His shareholding in CSKCL now stands at 0.11%, alongside Rupa Gurunath (0.01%) and Chitra Srinivasan (0.03%). The largest shareholder remains EWS Finance & Investments Private Ltd, with 47.08%.
Srinivasan’s long and high-profile career
Srinivasan, now 80, was previously effectively CSK’s owner and founder, although he never held an official role with the team. He had a long career at the most senior levels in cricket – previously serving as President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket association multiple times, BCCI President, and ICC Chairman.
According to One Cricket and the Times of India, Srinivasan’s high profile career was also marked by controversy. Reporting on Srinivasan’s return, Times of India wrote:
“While Srinivasan was the brain and the soul behind the formation of CSK in 2008, he never officially held a post in the franchise. But allegations of conflict of interest did take its toll on the business tycoon’s cricket administrative career, as he had to leave the post of the BCCI president when the IPL spot-fixing scandal was at its peak in 2013… Though Srinivasan became the ICC chairman and his group ran the show in BCCI till 2015, his CSK links weighed heavily against him.”
Srinivasan was later reinstated as BCCI Chair and always maintained his innocence and was never personally accused of wrongdoing in the scandal. CSK, though, was subsequently banned from the 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons,
Srinivasan also enjoyed a strong relationship with MS Dhoni, and speculation is already mounting that Srinivasan’s return was done at least in part in the hope that Dhoni would play for CSK again in 2026.
CEO hails Srinivasan’s return
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, speaking to PTI on Wednesday, described Srinivasan’s appointment as a significant development for the franchise.
“See, it’s a great boon for CSK and he’s been the best administrator for us and I’m very happy that he’s come back into CSK. He’ll be in an advisory role only because he doesn’t travel much, but we’ll be in contact with him. Both of us are in Chennai only. So he’s in day-to-day contact with us. He will be in charge everything (all CSK properties).”
Srinivasan will also oversee the management of CSK’s properties in SA20 and Major League Cricket.
Speculation about Ashwin
Viswanathan also addressed speculation about former CSK spinner R. Ashwin, who recently retired from the IPL.
“See, Ashwin is already in our academy. So we are already using him.
As far as playing for us in SA20 and MLC is concerned, he is not registered for SA20. He is registered only with ILT20 (where CSK doesn’t have a presence),” Viswanathan added.
Dividend declared despite financial dip
For the first time in its history, CSKCL has recommended a shareholder dividend. The board has proposed a payout of ₹1 per equity share of face value ₹0.10 (about $0.0114 per share), totaling ₹37.9 crore (about $4.30 million).
This comes despite a decline in financial performance. For FY25, CSK reported revenue of ₹644 crore (about $73.12 million) and profit of ₹181 crore (about $20.55 million), representing year-on-year drops of 4.7% and 20% respectively. The company attributed the fall to the absence of prize money, which had boosted FY24 earnings.
In its annual report, the franchise emphasized its confidence in bouncing back:
“The Season XVIII of the Indian Premier League commenced on 22nd March 2025 and the matches were played from March to June 2025. While your IPL Franchise Chennai Super Kings did not qualify for the Knockouts, we remain optimistic of a strong comeback and an improved performance in the upcoming seasons,”
— the company said in its annual report
Expansion of global footprint and new ventures
CSK has also sought shareholder approval to raise its borrowing limit from ₹500 crore to ₹750 crore (about $56.77 million to $85.15 million) to support expansion plans. These include investments in overseas franchises and sports academies.
“The company is constantly expanding its global footprint by participating in T20 leagues hosted by other nations with its global franchises like ‘Joburg Super Kings’ in Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 League and ‘Texas Super Kings’ in Major League Cricket in The United States of America, and by increasing the number of its Cricket Academies abroad. The company says it is also setting up, developing and managing various sports academies and performance centres and these are set to increase in the near future.
The incremental income from the proposal would complement the existing business of the company,”
— it said in the annual report
Beyond this, the franchise has proposed amending its Memorandum of Association to create new revenue streams by monetising its owned facilities, including stadiums, training grounds, courts, and other sports infrastructure.
A pivotal moment for CSK
With Srinivasan back in an advisory chairmanship role, CSK declaring its first dividend, and the franchise outlining ambitious global expansion, the developments mark a pivotal moment in the storied IPL team’s evolution.
While financial results dipped in FY25, the combination of shareholder rewards, structural growth, and Srinivasan’s return positions CSK for a renewed phase of influence in both Indian and global cricket.
