Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) GM Amrit Mathur revealed how Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar saved Delhi Capitals (earlier, Delhi Daredevils). The ex-BCCI official revealed that Kumar cancelled his lucrative deal with the Indian Premier League franchise to save them from heavy financial losses. Mathur talked about the incident in his autobiography ‘Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket.’
Mathur, who was DC’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) at that time, wrote in his book that he discussed the financial issues of the franchise and actor’s contract with Kumar. Mathur quoted in his autobiography, “Akshay signed a three-year deal with Delhi Daredevils to shoot promotional films, attend meet and greet events and make appearances at corporate events.”
He added, “Apart from Kotla act nothing much happened because DD didn't know how to leverage him. At the end of the season, during elaborate post-mortem held against backdrop of serious financial losses, DD decided to cancel or renegotiate the contract.”
The ex-official recalled, "Akshay's contract provided no exit; on the contrary, it gave him solid guarantees for a period of three years. DD's lawyers approached Akshay's staff, wanting to revisit the contract, but they made no headway. The response from his side was that contract didn't factor in early termination and it has run its course with full monetary compensation.”
Talking about the generosity of the Bollywood superstar, Mathur revealed how Kumar responded when Mathur himself explained the situation to him. He wrote, "After the shot, we returned to his vanity van and I, very hesitantly, explained the reason for my visit and outlined DD's financial troubles. No problem ji, he said in a sympathetic manner. If it's not working, let's close it'. I thought I hadn't heard him right.”
"Seeing my confused look, he clarified slowly, 'Isko khatam kar dete hain. When I mumbled about the stringent contract clauses, he reassured me, 'Koi baat nahin, main lawyer ko bol dunga', Mathur added in his book. Notably, the franchise had Kumar on board in 2008.
