- Abhishek Bachchan never owned an IPL team due to high costs when it started
- He was establishing himself with movies like Dhoom and Guru when IPL was launched in 2008
- Abhishek questioned what value he could add to IPL beyond existing BCCI efforts
Abhishek Bachchan, a successful owner of kabaddi and football teams, has never owned an IPL team. In a recent interview, he shared that his decision was primarily influenced by finances, as owning an IPL team was very expensive back then.
Speaking to Forbes, Abhishek said: "It is very interesting. I don't know anybody who doesn't like the IPL. I think it is the ultimate in sports entertainment. I would love to be involved in it, but at that point of time—first of all, to be honest—when it started, it was very expensive. I was a fledgling actor... my films had just started doing well, I had begun earning some decent money, but it was out of my budget."
The IPL began in 2008, when Abhishek Bachchan was getting a foothold in the industry with films like Dhoom, Dhoom 2, LOC: Kargil, and Guru.
He also added that he wondered what value he could bring to the game: "More importantly, I didn't know what I could contribute. In terms of infrastructure, the BCCI does a wonderful job—so what could I bring to the table? I am not someone who is happy sitting in the stands and waving. 'Oh, a star has arrived'—I am not that person."
Speaking about his hands-on experience of bringing flair to the game, Abhishek said: "If you have seen me at my matches, I am very involved. I sit with the players. I live with them. I train them if I can. I even approve what they eat every day. I micromanage everything—that's how I like to work."
He later expanded into sports ownership by acquiring the Jaipur Pink Panthers in April 2014 and co-owning Chennaiyin FC in August the same year.
Speaking specifically about cricket, he admitted: "I didn't know how I could contribute because I wasn't as well-versed in the sport back then as I am now. I was more familiar with other sports and didn't know how I could be of assistance. But never say never—maybe something will happen in the future."
In terms of work, Abhishek Bachchan was last seen in the Prime Video film Be Happy.
