Sundar Raman is an Indian sports business professional. He is currently working with Reliance Industries Limited as its CEO - Sports.
Sundar Raman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 or 1972 (age 52–53)[1] Madurai |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | PSG College of Technology SVKM's NMIMS |
| Occupation | CEO - Reliance Sports |
He was working for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and was the Chief Operating Officer of the highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL) from its inception in 2008 to 2015. Raman was appointed as the IPL COO by former IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi in January 2008.[2] He assumed a more powerful position within the BCCI after Modi's ouster in 2010. In November 2015, Raman stepped down as COO of the Indian Premier League.[3] In March 2021, he was named as a consultant by IPL team Chennai Super Kings.[4]
Personal life
editRaman was born in Madurai and then brought up by his parents in Trichy and Chennai along with his two elder brothers.[1] He graduated from PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore with a degree in applied sciences.[citation needed] In 1993, Raman got post-graduate management degree in advertising & communications from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai.[1]
Career
editSundar Raman began his professional career in 1995 as a media planner with the erstwhile Hindustan Thompson Associates now J. Walter Thompson. Raman eventually took over as the managing director of Mindshare India, a division of ad group WPP's media agency Group M.[1] In January 2008, Raman delivered a presentation to Lalit Modi, the then Vice President of the BCCI, which eventually led to him being hired by Modi to help him conduct the inaugural edition of the IPL. In February 2008, Raman was officially appointed as IPL COO after a decade in strategic media thinking business working for brands such as Unilever, PepsiCo, Motorola, Samsung and Amex.[5] Along with Modi, Raman was instrumental in shifting the entire IPL T20 cricket tournament to South Africa in 2009. Raman resigned from the post of COO of IPL on 3 November 2015. Shortly afterwards he was appointed as the CEO of Reliance Sport which is part of Reliance Industries Limited.[6][7]
IPL Controversy
editRaman was at the helm of affairs when the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal was unearthed in 2013 involving some cricketers, Chennai Super Kings Team Principal and BCCI President, N Srinivasan's son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, Vindu Dara Singh and a few other individuals.[8] Raman maintained the stand that Meiyappan was not a team official during the ensuing investigation conducted by former Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal. But his contention was thereafter rejected by the report filed by the Mudgal committee.[9]
In early April 2014, the court-ordered interim BCCI President for all IPL-related matters, Sunil Gavaskar revealed that he is evaluating Raman's role in the IPL scandal.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Captain's knack: Tete-a-tete with Sundar Raman". The Economic Times. 14 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ Doshi, Anjali (4 October 2013). "Who Is Sundar Raman?". Open Magazine. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Sundar Raman steps down as IPL COO, to leave BCCI on November 5". Zee News India. 3 November 2015.
- ^ "Former IPL COO Sundar Raman named consultant for CSK". Hindustan Times. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ "IPL appoints Sundar Raman as the CEO". The Economic Times. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ Mehra, Priyanka (27 July 2009). "Sundar Raman | What IPL 2 taught the men in charge". Mint. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Former IPL COO Sundar Raman to join Reliance Sports CEO". 16 November 2015.
- ^ Dalvi, Vinay (20 March 2014). "IPL betting: Voice samples nail Gurunath Meiyappan, Vindoo Dara Singh". Mid-Day. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Gurunath Meiyappan was a Chennai Super Kings team official". The Indian Express. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Gavaskar evaluating Raman's role in IPL scandal, says Verma". The Times of India. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "Evaluating the request of Bihar Cricket Association (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma: Sunil Gavaskar". The Economic Times. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.