Until actor-cum-bookie Vindu Dara Singh’s camaraderie with Gurunath Meiyappan was exposed and the Mumbai Police issued him summons consequent to his alleged links with bookies, the latter was Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) CEO and Team Principal, happily obliging the press and seldom a frame away from being clicked with the team’s élite. But after Vindu’s revelations that he had contacted Meiyappan several times over phone, the CSK management has disowned him.
In a press release issued by executive director T S Raghupathy on Friday, the company clarified that Meiyappan is only a member of CSK’s management team. “India Cements clarifies that Gurunath Meiyappan is neither the owner nor CEO/Team Principal of Chennai Super Kings. Gurunath is only one of the Members (Honorary) of the Management Team of Chennai Super Kings,” it said.
Sounds baffling, since Gurunath has in the past addressed press meets and given interviews claiming he was the team principal. In his stadium access badge, “Team Owner” is written in bold.