The Indian Premier League (IPL) faces a major controversy as one of its prominent franchises, Sunrisers Hyderabad, is entangled in serious allegations of financial fraud and money laundering. At the center of the storm is Kaviya Maran’s father and franchise owner, Kalanithi Maran, who has been accused by his own brother, Dayanidhi Maran.
According to media reports, the accusations are not only business-related but deeply personal, rooted in an ongoing family feud that has now spilled into the public domain. Dayanidhi Maran, a former Union Minister and co-founder of Sun TV Network, has issued a legal notice alleging massive financial irregularities by his brother.
The allegations include manipulation of shareholding, illegal asset acquisitions, and misuse of funds that ultimately impacted the ownership and functioning of the IPL franchise.
In the legal notice, Dayanidhi claimed that Kalanithi allocated 1.2 million company shares to himself at an undervalued rate of just ₹10 per share, while the market price at that time was between ₹2,500 and ₹3,000. This alleged manipulation, according to Dayanidhi, reduced the family’s actual stake from 50% to just 20%, causing a financial loss of approximately ₹3,498.8 crore.
He further alleged that the diverted funds were used to purchase multiple high-value assets and businesses under various companies, including:
The notice also claimed that in 2005, Sun TV falsely reported distributing dividends worth ₹10.64 crore to their mother, Mallika Maran, which he asserts never actually occurred.
This dramatic development has sent shockwaves through both the cricketing and business communities. With financial impropriety and cross-border money laundering under scrutiny, the future of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise — and possibly the integrity of the IPL itself — is now under question.
If proven, the allegations could trigger major investigations by Indian financial regulatory bodies and raise questions about governance within IPL franchises.
As of now, neither Kaviya Maran nor Kalanithi Maran has issued a public response.
