With the third season of the IPL round the corner, its CEO Sundar Raman battles work and “nightmarish logistics”. It helps that he loves the world of sport, he tells Aabhas Sharma
He says he loves a challenge. The 38-year-old CEO of the Indian Premier League, Sundar Raman, is by that admission, in the right place at the right time. He can hardly complain of his glass being half full — everyday brings a new challenge, and with the third season of the IPL just round the corner, time is perhaps the one thing in short supply. As he hops from one airport to another and from one meeting to the next, Raman says he spends most of his time trying to make sure the IPL goes ahead without too many glitches. At least that’s what he hopes for.
The IPL is such a high-profile event that there is always talk and controversy surrounding it. Such as last year, when at the nth hour, the whole event had to be shifted to South Africa. Raman doesn’t dwell too much on how difficult it was to move the whole event at the last minute to another country, simply admitting that it was a “logistical nightmare” But “I love the whole process despite how hectic and chaotic it gets,” he says. Heading one of the biggest sporting as well as commercial ventures was never going to be an easy ride. And with the IPL set to spread its wings in terms of more teams being added, he knows the pressures that will come along. “When I took up this job, I knew that the challenges would be manifold but thankfully I love sports, so it’s been a bit easier,” he says.
Before joining the IPL, Raman spent a decade in the world of media buying. He used to head WPP’s media buying arm Group M and says that the stint was a fantastic experience. Has he changed since his media days? “Not a lot, i think,” he says. Things changed quite dramatically for Raman since he joined the IPL and he says that while he was aware of the kind of challenges that lay ahead, their magnitude still took him by surprise. There was an inbuilt curiosity around the first edition and it was unknown territory for all aboard the IPL express. “We weren’t sure whether the franchise system would work or how people would respond to it,” he recalls. But it was a hit, though not without its share of controversies. And Raman says that the IPL is under more scrutiny than any other event. “Be it the owners or players the very nature of the event opens it up to opinions and scrutiny,” he says.
At every stage, there are questions raised. Some say it will kill test cricket while there are others who call it a money making exercise. A few weeks ago, the auction got a bit more controversial with the non-inclusion of Pakistani players. There’s no dearth of doubters, critics — some fair and some unfair — who will continue to raise certain issues. “You can’t keep everyone happy. Here’s a format which is different, innovative, action packed,” Raman says, almost defensively. Solutions to problems need to be evolved even as the problems surface. For instance, no matches featuring Deccan Chargers would be held in Hyderabad due to the Telangana issue. “We are very clear the players’ security is of utmost importance and we will take all the necessary steps to ensure that,” he says. But Raman is not too bothered about all this. “We know we are going about it in the right way and the aim is to make IPL a global sporting brand,” he says, “We can’t make everyone happy”.
When IPL was started the intention was to create a local flavor, build regional rivalries. But IPL 2.0 showed that it has immense fan following irrespective of where it is being played. Now with season 3 just days away, Raman has barely had time to think about anything else. He is quite excited about the deal with Youtube and says that it will expand the IPL’s appeal globally. For the first time live cricket matches will be streamed online and Youtube will have a dedicated IPL channel.
A typical day in his life involves coordination and planning and meeting people to ensure smooth flow of operations, at a basic level. From franchise owners, the BCCI, advertisers, to sponsors, they’re all on his list. Does he get time to do things he likes? “I love sports in general and try to watch EPL matches whenever possible.” Free time is not a luxury which he has especially in the run up to the IPL. But he confesses to being a big video game buff “Nintendo Wii is my favourite”. He loves golf and tries to play as much as he can. Does he miss the relatively relaxed days of his old job? “Not at all,” he says emphatically,
“I know that there will be surprises along the way and however hard I may plan, there will be things at the last moment will catch me completely off guard. But I wouldn’t trade my position for anything in the world,” he says. You may love or hate the IPL, but its CEO’s enthusiasm, at least, is hard to match.
