Meet Sanjog Gupta, newly-appointed ICC CEO, who once worked as journalist, has this Mukesh Ambani connection

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday appointed Sanjog Gupta as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sanjog will assume office on July 7, 2025, becoming the seventh CEO of the ICC, according to a release from the ICC. He currently serves as CEO of Sports & Live Experiences at JioStar. ICC Chairman Jay Shah made the announcement, noting that Sanjog’s extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation will be invaluable for the ICC.

Further, ICC chairman Jay Shah said that several exceptional candidates were considered for the position, but the Nominations Committee unanimously chose Sanjog. “His deep understanding of the global sports as well as the M&E landscape, combined with his continued curiosity about the cricket fan's perspective and passion for technology, will prove essential in our ambition to grow the game in the coming years. Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets,” he added. 

Who is Sanjog Gupta?

Sanjog Gupta is an economics graduate who began his career as a journalist. He started as a correspondent for The Tribune before moving to TV Today Network as a producer-anchor-correspondent. He worked as an Associate Executive Producer at Star News India (now ABP News) in 2007, before joining NDTV as a News Editor. He was then an anchor for INTV, after which he joined Star Movies & BBC World Service Trust as a consultant/producer. Over the years, he held multiple leadership roles in content, programming and strategy before becoming Head of Sports at Disney & Star India in 2020. 

Sanjog as the new ICC CEO

Sanjog Gupta has been a driving force behind the transformation of sports broadcasting in India and globally. Sanjog has played a pivotal role in shaping the continued growth of marquee Cricket properties such as ICC events & IPL, establishing domestic sports leagues like PKL and ISL, furthering the popularity of global sporting events such as the Premier League and Wimbledon and scaling the business across consumer and commercial objectives.

Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO-designate, commented, "It is a privilege to have this opportunity, especially at a time when cricket is poised for unprecedented growth and enjoys the passionate support of almost 2 billion fans worldwide. These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women's game scale in popularity. Cricket's inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force multipliers for the Cricket movement around the world ." He added, "I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket's evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations."

Sanjog Gupta as Head of Sports at Disney & Star India

Under Sanjog Gupta’s stewardship, the Sports portfolio at Star India scaled across consumer and commercial objectives with a strong emphasis on long-term growth and operational efficiency. Notably, he played a crucial role in developing and executing multi-language, digital-first, and women-centric sports coverage. Sanjog was appointed CEO of JioStar Sports in November 2024 following the merger of Viacom18 and Disney Star, forming a powerful new sports media entity. Known for combining business acumen with creative storytelling, he has consistently delivered innovation-led growth across media and sports ecosystems. 

(With inputs from ANI)