The founder and first commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Lalit Modi, believes that the cash-rich tournament will continue to expand and soon become the premier sporting league in the world. The former BCCI official conceived of the IPL immediately following India’s 2007 victory at the T20 World Cup.
Even though many predicted that the IPL would fail in its early days, the tournament has become one of BCCI’s most successful endeavors. Later, many other cricketing bodies attempted to replicate its model, but none could match the IPL’s popularity or revenue generated by BCCI and each participating team.
On April 30, the 1000th match of the tournament took place when the Mumbai Indians hosted the Rajasthan Royals at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Modi stated that he is experiencing a very emotional time and thanked the league’s fans and stakeholders for making it what it is.
“I would like to applaud them for their support (fans, players, stakeholders, and regulators). Modi stated on Cricbuzz, “Thank you for making IPL what it is.” This is an extremely emotional time. It is astounding to see the IPL grow so rapidly and become the second-most valuable league in the world. Regarding viewership, it ranks first. More significant is the number of youthful people we have observed in the country’s landscape. And the infrastructure that has been developed throughout India. This is the result of the IPL’s expansion.”
Lalit Modi was expelled from BCCI in 2013 after he was found guilty of financial irregularities.
However, the former commissioner has stated that it is only a matter of time before the tournament becomes the premier league in the world.
“Everything is due to the supporters and how they’ve embraced the league. It appears to be getting stronger and stronger. It will not be long before the IPL becomes the premier sports league in the world. It is currently behind the NFL, ranking second. According to the IPL’s growth rate and velocity, that day is not far off,” he reiterated.
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