The Indian Super League welcomes karanyadav21 as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The Indian Super League (ISL) announced on Monday the appointment of Karan Yadav as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), signifying a significant leadership transition for India’s foremost football league as it transitions to a club-led operational framework.
Yadav brings nearly two decades of experience in sports, media, marketing, commercial strategy, and operations, combining deep football knowledge with strong sports-business acumen, according to an official announcement.
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Yadav’s involvement in sports commenced in 2010 with football, when he established TheHardTackle.com as co-founder, a prominent digital football publication that he developed and directed as Editor-in-Chief, overseeing a diverse international team comprising more than 50 writers and 10 editors. Throughout his career, he has built expertise in commercial strategy, sales and marketing, sports rights management, athlete management, and operations.
He has directed the sports and content division at Wavemaker (WPP), managed sports sponsorships and activations at the unicorn startup ACKO, and most recently held the position of Chief Commercial Officer at JSW Sports, where he oversaw a P&L exceeding Rs 300 crore spanning sports franchises, talent management, and brand consulting services.
During his tenure at JSW Sports, he formulated the commercial strategy for Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, administered JSW’s kitting partnership with Team India during the 2024 Paris Olympics, and was instrumental in establishing the Neeraj Chopra Classic, India’s inaugural global athletics intellectual property, in 2025, according to the official statement.
In his capacity as CEO, Yadav will oversee the League Office and direct the strategic, commercial, and organisational initiatives of the ISL, collaborating extensively with the League’s member clubs and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF).
His responsibilities will encompass formulating the League’s comprehensive strategy and commercial framework, reinforcing partnerships with clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, and other key stakeholders, while establishing a proficient League Office infrastructure that facilitates sustained expansion and long-term viability of the competition.
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