Lalit Modi has mounted a strong defence of his role in building the Indian Premier League, insisting the tournament’s success was inseparable from the vision and planning that brought it to life. Speaking to Wisden for The Scoop Extended, the IPL Founder argued that his contribution to the league continues to resonate nearly two decades after its launch, despite his departure from cricket administration in 2010.
The IPL has grown into one of the most valuable properties in global sport since its launch in 2008, spawning franchise leagues across multiple markets and transforming the economics of cricket. Although Modi has remained outside the sport’s governance structures for more than a decade, he believes the league’s continued prominence reinforces the significance of the role he played in its creation.
Modi stands firm on his IPL legacy
Reflecting on the league’s origins and his involvement in its development, Lalit Modi, Founder and Former Chairman of the Indian Premier League, said: “I was cut to size because of many other issues. Everybody was jealous. It wouldn’t have worked if I had not been who I was. The IPL wouldn’t have worked if not for me. Why are you talking to me 17 years later, despite me not being part of the game since then?”
Modi’s comments come at a time when the IPL’s commercial influence continues to expand across the global sports industry, with franchise-based cricket competitions now operating in several major markets.
The decision he wishes he had handled differently
While defending his record, Modi acknowledged that one aspect of the IPL’s evolution remains a source of regret.
Discussing the governance structure that emerged around the competition, he noted: “I regretted the fact that I left India without doing certain things that had to be done. The founder of the IPL should always get a seat on the board of the league, I gave too much power to the BCCI.”
Modi remained associated with the IPL through its first three seasons before being suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2010 and later receiving a life ban from cricket administration following allegations relating to financial irregularities and misconduct.
A different vision for IPL governance
Expanding on his concerns about the league’s governance model, Modi said he had considered an alternative structure that would have given franchise owners a more direct role in decision-making.
He added: “I could have dictated at the time what I wanted because everybody thought it’s gonna fail. They didn’t really care about it, I had already written the constitution of a separate company being formed. Obviously, BCCI would continue to get the money but the governance of the league should have been in partnership with the IPL owners along with the BCCI.”
The comments offer a rare insight into how Modi believes the IPL could have been organised differently during its formative years, particularly as franchise owners have become increasingly influential stakeholders in the modern cricket economy.
Why Modi still stands by the IPL blueprint
Despite the controversies that surrounded his exit from the game, Modi said he would not change the approach he took when creating the league.
He stated: “It (The idea of IPL) just didn’t come out of thin air. It went through a lot of scientific research and a lot of learnings of mine. Everybody around the world has tried to create what I created and failed. When people say, I made a mistake, I didn’t make a mistake. If I had to ever do this again, it wouldn’t be any different from what I did last time.”
Since Modi’s departure, the IPL has been overseen by a succession of administrators under the BCCI, with Arun Singh Dhumal serving as IPL Chairman since 2022. Yet as the league continues to set commercial benchmarks for cricket worldwide, Modi remains adamant that both its success and its original blueprint continue to validate the vision behind its creation.
