ISL appoints Karan Yadav as CEO as league enters new club-led era

The Indian Super League has appointed Karan Yadav as its Chief Executive Officer, bringing a sports-business executive into the top leadership role as the league transitions to a new club-led model.

Yadav becomes the first CEO of the ISL under its new League Office structure. He will lead the League Office and the strategic, commercial and organisational direction of the competition, working closely with the league’s clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The appointment comes as the ISL moves to a club-led commercial structure, with participating clubs holding the league’s commercial rights while the AIFF retains administrative control and oversight of key operational aspects. The 2026-27 season will also return to a traditional home-and-away format.

Yadav brings nearly two decades of experience across sports, media, marketing, commercial strategy and operations. His career in football began in 2010, when he co-founded TheHardTackle.com, before moving into sports rights, sponsorships, athlete management and commercial operations.

Before joining the ISL, Yadav served as Chief Commercial Officer at JSW Sports, where he led a ₹300-plus crore P&L across sports franchises, talent management and brand consulting. He also worked on the commercial strategy around Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, JSW’s Team India kitting partnership for the Paris 2024 Olympics and the launch of the Neeraj Chopra Classic.

His new role places commercial development at the centre of the League Office. Yadav will work with clubs, broadcasters, sponsors and other stakeholders across partnerships, broadcast, fan engagement and the wider development of the competition.

“The club-led model gives us a strong foundation to work with the clubs and the Managing Committee of ISL, with a shared ambition for the League and for Indian football,” Yadav said.

He added that the focus would be on “strengthening the League’s commercial and broadcast proposition” while creating an environment where clubs can grow sustainably.

The appointment gives the ISL a dedicated executive leadership structure at a point when the league is redefining how its commercial and organisational ecosystem is managed. Yadav’s background across sports properties, sponsorships and commercial strategy now moves from individual sporting businesses to the league level.

The 2026-27 ISL season is scheduled to begin on October 10 and will return to a home-and-away format, with 13 teams currently set to participate.