Lalit Modi is always interesting to talk to. Especially when it comes to the IPL. He always comes up with ideas which make for interesting debate and offer food for thought. This conversation was no different. From saying that the BCCI was doing a fantastic job with the IPL by going to cities which weren’t part of the eco-system before, to saying that he is sceptical of the impact cricket could have at LA 28 because it remains an expat sport in the US, it was a conversation with plenty to chew on.
Excerpts:
Boria: It is IPL time again and it was interesting to see you tweet and post a story on Instagram celebrating the tournament. How do you see the tournament now and would you like to see any innovation?
Lalit Modi: The IPL has grown to be the world’s best sports league and has a valuation second to none, and one has to say the BCCI has done a fantastic job with it. The new group in the BCCI, who are running the show now, has got it right. They have taken games to newer cities and markets and opened up the entire country to the IPL. That’s how you bring in newer constituencies of people within the fold of the tournament and it has been great to see them do that. When I sit here in Austria and see fans from across the country get behind the tournament, I have to say I am thrilled and a lot of credit must go to the BCCI for taking the tournament ahead and make it bigger and better.
Boria: Interesting you say that. You have been a critic of the BCCI in the past, and coming from you, it is serious praise. But do you want to see any innovation in the tournament going forward?
Modi: Innovation not so much from the BCCI, but more from the team owners. Now, most teams have a strong fan base. And yet, merchandising hasn’t really taken off. I would want to see the team owners come together and work on merchandising. It is an opportunity lost. They should open a centralised IPL store and take the story forward. Even ticketing is something the team owners can improve on. Rather than doing their own things, they should do things collectively.
For the BCCI, maybe they should now think of a secondary league in tier-two and tier-three cities. That’s where the appetite is and that’s where you should take the tournament. Use the September-October window earmarked for the Champions League for this. May be even think if the winner can be promoted to the IPL for the next season. That’s where the BCCI can go with the tournament the next few years.
Boria: What is fascinating to see is that all the teams now have their dedicated legion of supporters. When you started the IPL, it wasn’t the case. There was no fan connect. Now there is. Chennai, RCB, Mumbai – each have a huge fan base.
Modi: Let me tell you two things. This is how we had visualised the tournament, and again, the BCCI deserves credit. They have taken the tournament to cities that were earlier untapped. That’s how you grow your fanbase. Many speak of Manchester United or Liverpool and Real Madrid. In our country, we have still not realised more than 10 percent of the fan potential. In a population of 1.45 billion, it is safe to say that no Manchester United can ever come close to a Mumbai Indians, for example. Each of these teams will be the biggest sports clubs in the world, and that’s where the IPL is the biggest success story.
The second point I want to talk about is the success of the Indian players. It has successfully become an aspirational tale – something it was always meant to be. In a team that has Faf [du Plessis] and [Glenn] Maxwell, it was Anuj Rawat who did the job for RCB. Think what it could have meant to him. In a team which has Mitchell Starc, it was Harshit Rana who did the job for KKR. That’s where the tournament is a huge success. It is no longer reliant on foreign stars. Rather, it is the Indian core that drives it. The reason the South African league was successful this year is because the local stars are driving it. The same thing applies to the Caribbean league. CPL is now a success. The reason Dubai and the US [leagues] aren’t successes is because they are dependant on outsiders. You need the local connect for a tournament to grow. Without it, you are always going to struggle.
#LalitModi Exclusive 🚨
“The BCCI has done an amazing job”- @LalitKModi says that the #IPL has now spread to newer markets, making it the global brand it is today!
Full interview 12 noon!@AgeasFederal @IPL @BoriaMajumdar @BCCI #IPL2024 #IndianPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/KaUzr50qbf
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) March 25, 2024
Boria: The World T20 is moving to the US and the Caribbean. What’s your take on it and the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics? From what you just said, aren’t you upbeat about cricket’s chances in the Olympics?
Modi: I think the World T20 in New York will be driven by expats. For a one-off game, that’s fine. In the US, it is still the expats that drive the sport. In the absence of local connect, you can’t really grow the sport. So, while I do think the India-Pakistan match will be a major spectacle and a huge draw with expats from all over backing it, I am seriously sceptical about cricket’s inclusion in LA. Had it been included in Australia or England, for example, when the Olympic was being staged in these countries, I would say it was a great move. But to think that cricket will make its debut in LA, where there is no real local connect, makes me sceptical. We have to wait and see what happens, but on the face of it, I feel sceptical.
Boria: We have all read in the press that you wanted to put your hat in the ring and take over the 100. It did not happen. Can you tell us more about that?
Modi: I am still interested, and feel the 100 has potential if it can be fundamentally revamped. But it has to be started from scratch. If it clashes with another tournament and if you are intent on pleasing the counties, it won’t work. By moving away from the T20 format, you made a mistake. Now, you need to restart and do so from scratch. Unless the ECB is agreeable to doing that, the 100 will struggle. I think I can make it work if I am allowed to start from a clean slate.
Boria: Finally, how much are you missing the IPL?
Modi: Of course I miss it. I am in Austria at the moment, and it is not available here. So, we spent a lot of time and effort to download a VPN and get it streamed on our phones. It is a challenge to see it here, and I am much looking forward to going back to London where I will be able to watch it regularly. It is something that is very close to me and something that I am emotionally attached to. It is the world’s best sports league, and all of us Indians are attached to it!
#LalitModi Exclusive 🚨
“As an innovation, the BCCI could look at a secondary league now”- @LalitKModi advocates a secondary league in the @IPL to encourage more participation.
He says the tournament is on the right track with the BCCI doing a fine job in highlighting domestic… pic.twitter.com/JsQ57FJtj8
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) March 25, 2024