Akshay Kumar, the renowned Bollywood star, made a surprising decision that would impact the Delhi Daredevils IPL franchise. In 2009, Akshay had entered into a three-year contract with Delhi Daredevils for various promotional activities, meet and greet events, and corporate appearances.
Although he had the upper hand and could have played tough, Akshay Kumar decided to terminate his lucrative contract with Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals) in 2009. The reason behind this move was the IPL franchise’s need to reduce its financial losses, as revealed in a newly published book authored by veteran cricket administrator Amrit Mathur, titled ‘Pitchside: My Life in Indian Cricket’ and published by Westland Sport.
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Mathur’s book details the situation, stating, “Akshay signed a three-year deal with Delhi Daredevils to shoot promotional films, attend meet and greet events and make appearances at corporate events…” However, things took a turn when the franchise realized they needed to either cancel or renegotiate the contract due to their financial troubles.
Akshay’s contract initially appeared binding with no apparent exit clause. The contract provided him with solid guarantees for a three-year period. Despite DD’s legal efforts to revisit the contract, they were unsuccessful. Mathur wrote, “The (legally correct) response from his side was that contract didn’t factor in early termination and it has run its course with full monetary compensation.”
From Delhi Daredevils’ perspective, Akshay’s multi-crore contract had become a financial burden that needed to be addressed. Faced with serious financial losses and the need for financial prudence, DD saw Akshay’s contract as an avoidable expense. Mathur revealed, “Knowing there was no legal lifeline available, DD appealed to Akshay for mercy.”
Mathur, who acted as a trouble-shooter for DD, recalled an encounter with Akshay during the shooting of ‘Chandni Chowk to China’. He explained the franchise’s financial troubles to Akshay, expecting resistance. However, to Mathur’s surprise, Akshay responded sympathetically, “No problem ji, if it’s not working, let’s close it.” Mathur further explained, “Seeing my confused look, he clarified slowly, ‘Isko khatam kar dete hain (let us end this).'”
Mathur continued, “Even after so many years I am surprised that Akshay waived off such a large amount of money. Just like that — snap decision when he could have easily thrown the contract at us.” This instance showcased Akshay’s unexpected magnanimity.
