Because he is the man behind the Indian Premier League (IPL), a six-week T20 tournament that could change world cricket forever. Because his ambition to turn Indian cricket into a multibillion-dollar property in the league of European soccer is matched by his ability to sign big deals—at last count, the IPL deals were worth $1.8 billion (Rs 7,200 crore).
Because BCCI’s revenues have increased seven-fold—the deals signed by it for the Indian team since 2005 are worth $777 million (Rs 3,108 crore). Because no one in cricket wants to be on his wrong side.