The most popular franchise cricket tournament is the Indian Premier League or IPL. This tournament in India is not lagging behind in competition with other sports. Among the world’s popular leagues, this tournament with a lot of money will be in the top three.
But behind the IPL becoming the mega-star it is today, there are several illegal and unregulated activities! This is what the chairman of the first IPL, Lalit Modi, claimed. He claims that he broke all the rules to popularize the IPL.
Many believe that Lalit Modi played a huge role in making the IPL popular today. The entire tournament is the brainchild of the businessman who is currently absconding. One of the reasons why the IPL is such a big brand is the dazzling live telecast of the debut match, reaching crores of people and Brendon McCullum’s historic 158-run innings. Lalit Modi came back after 17 years and revealed that he broke all the rules to make the first match of the IPL reach more people.
Sony Sports had the exclusive rights to broadcast the first year of the IPL. But the then IPL chairman Lalit Modi was skeptical about how popular the channel on which Sony was showing the game was.
In an interview, he admitted that he had encouraged news channels to broadcast the first match by breaking the rules. In Lalit’s words, “I wanted the match to reach a large number of people at any cost. Because if that match was not a hit, I would have been finished. That is why I broke all kinds of rules.”
In fact, Modi relied on popularity to raise the huge investment in the IPL. And he was skeptical about Sony. So, to ensure that the first match reached the audience, he encouraged several TV channels to show some parts of the match live. But that was against the rules. Sony even threatened to sue Lalit after learning about the matter. But he was not deterred. Later, however, Sony also got a glimpse of the popularity of the first match.
FAQ
Who is Lalit Modi?
Lalit Modi is the founder and first chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and played a key role in its creation and rise.
What did Lalit Modi admit about the IPL’s debut?
He admitted that he broke several rules to ensure the first IPL match reached a large audience and became popular.
Why did Lalit Modi break the rules for the first IPL match?
He wanted the match to be a huge success to attract viewers, investors, and secure the IPL’s future.
Which historic moment helped boost the IPL’s popularity?
Brendon McCullum’s explosive 158-run innings in the debut match played a significant role in drawing massive attention.
