N Srinivasan Makes a Comeback to the Spotlight

N Srinivasan, once a formidable figure in Indian and global cricket, has made headlines again. Amidst discussions about his potential retirement from cricket administration, his name has resurfaced in connection with a leadership role at Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd (CSKCL). He has now been appointed as the chairman of CSK, one of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) most successful franchises.

“Given the changing dynamics of global and franchise cricket, the company benefits from his experience and insight,” a company director told Cricbuzz. Srinivasan, at 80 years old, has served as a director of the company since February 2025, and his appointment as chairman took effect on May 10, 2025.

His daughter, Rupa Gurunath, is also a director and has been named ‘Wholetime Director’ as of August 24, 2025. Other directors include R Srinivasan, Rakesh Singh, PL Subramanian, Sanjay Patel, and V Manickam. E Jayashree served as a director until May 10. Kasi Viswanathan is the Managing Director and CEO of CSK.

CSKCL is set to host an online AGM on September 27. According to the AGM notice, “NOTICE is herewith given for the Eleventh Annual General Meeting of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited at 11.00 A.M. [IST] on Saturday, September 27, 2025, via Video Conferencing (VC) / Other Audio Visual Means (OAVM) to discuss the following business…” Several items on the agenda include reappointing Srinivasan and Rupa as directors.

Insiders reveal that Srinivasan, who maintains a low public profile these days, is actively involved in CSK’s affairs, particularly in expanding the franchise’s presence in international leagues, with subsidiary teams in South Africa and the US. He is also focused on establishing high-performance centers and academies in various locations.

According to a well-informed source, Srinivasan’s emergence as director/chairman, a role he took on for the first time only this year, isn’t unexpected given the family’s ownership of the IPL franchise and their discretion in choosing its leadership. Srinivasan owns 427,400 shares in the company.

Rupa holds 36,440 shares, and his wife Chitra owns over 100,000 shares. The Srinivasan family maintains majority ownership after separating the franchise from India Cements, which was acquired by Birla Group’s Ultratech Cement last December.

Although CSK MD and CEO Viswanathan was unavailable, a CSK official stated that Srinivasan participates in meetings and significantly impacts the franchise’s future plans. He maintains regular contact with MS Dhoni, the leading cricketer and public face of Chennai Super Kings.