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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is now the biggest cricket league in the world, but its story started during a difficult time for Indian cricket. Before the IPL became a global sensation, the Indian Cricket League (ICL) had entered the scene and started attracting huge attention.
This pushed the BCCI to think about launching its own T20 tournament that could bring together the best players and attract fans from around the world. That idea eventually became the IPL. But building such a massive tournament was not easy.
How the ICL challenge gave birth to the IPL
This IPL idea required detailed planning and discussions with broadcasters, sponsors, team owners, and players. And then the BCCI handed the project to Lalit Modi. After receiving the responsibility to develop the tournament, Modi began working on a project that required support from players, business groups, broadcasters, sponsors, and cricket officials.
It involved countless meetings, negotiations, and planning before the tournament finally took shape. In its early days, there were many doubts about whether a city-based T20 tournament could survive for a longer time.
However, season after season, the league continued to grow. Bigger crowds, larger television audiences, and massive sponsorship deals helped transform the IPL into a sporting giant. Now, Lalit Modi wants IPL-style Tests in the modern era.
Today, the IPL is not just the world’s biggest cricket tournament but also one of the most valuable sports leagues in the world. Top players from different countries dream of playing in the tournament, while franchises have become powerful brands in their own right.
Recently, Lalit Modi said that the sport is entering a crucial phase, and he feels several major issues need attention, including player workload, international schedules, the rapid growth of franchise cricket, commercial pressures, and the changing demands of fans.
Lalit Modi backs Jay Shah to handle the biggest challenges
Amid these challenges, Modi has expressed confidence in ICC chairman Jay Shah, saying the former BCCI secretary is able to strike a balance between the interests of international cricket and franchise leagues. Modi also feels that cricket administrators should always keep the game, the players, and the fans at the center of every decision, as balance is everything.
Lalit Modi posted on his social media handles: “The challenges ahead are enormous—global scheduling, franchise cricket, international cricket, player workloads, commercial growth, and the changing expectations of fans. One man can fix it, and that is Jay Shah.”
“These are not simple issues. My view remains straightforward. Cricket must come first. The game must come first. The players must come first. And the fans must come first. Everything else is secondary.”
Lalit Modi predicts IPL will reshape world cricket forever
The former IPL chairman is confident that the tournament’s influence will continue to grow over the next decade. He believes the IPL will have a huge impact on the financial future of world cricket and could reshape how the sport operates globally.
Modi added, “As someone who created the IPL, I can see what lies ahead. The growth of the IPL over the next decade will fundamentally reshape the economics of world cricket. Some nations will embrace it. Others will envy it. Many will struggle to adapt to it.”
