Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has made sensational claims about the intense political battle inside the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that eventually led to Sharad Pawar becoming board president and paved the way for the birth of the IPL.
In a recent interview, Modi described the mid-2000s BCCI elections as a high-stakes power struggle filled with shifting loyalties, legal battles and dramatic behind-the-scenes manoeuvres.
Lalit Modi Recalls Fierce BCCI Election Battle
According to Lalit Modi, he strongly supported Sharad Pawar’s campaign for the BCCI presidency because he believed it was necessary for transforming Indian cricket and launching the IPL.
He claimed the first attempt to bring Pawar to power failed narrowly after internal divisions within their own group led to a one-vote defeat.
“We convinced Sharad Pawar to fight for the post. We were confident of winning but lost by one vote,” Modi said during the interview.
Modi alleged that the battle intensified in the following year, with rival factions fighting aggressively for control of Indian cricket administration.
Supreme Court Twist and Kolkata Election Drama
Recalling the famous 2005 BCCI elections in Kolkata, Modi said his camp secured a Supreme Court order appointing retired judges to oversee the voting process.
He described dramatic scenes inside the meeting venue after the court order was presented before then-BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.
According to Modi, tensions escalated quickly, police security was deployed and the election meeting stretched for several hours amid heated arguments and procedural disputes.
Claims of Flight Diversions and Hotel Hold-Ups
One of the most controversial revelations from Modi involved allegations that members linked to both camps were allegedly prevented from reaching the voting venue smoothly.
He claimed some board members were kept inside hotel rooms while flights carrying delegates were diverted during the election period.
“It was like a political election. Everybody wanted to win,” Modi said while describing the atmosphere around the crucial vote.
IPL Changed Global Cricket
Despite the controversy surrounding his tenure, Lalit Modi remains widely recognised as the architect of the IPL, which launched in 2008 and transformed world cricket financially and commercially.
The tournament quickly became one of the richest sporting leagues globally and helped strengthen the BCCI’s influence in international cricket.
Modi said the victory of Sharad Pawar’s faction marked “the beginning of the revolution of modern cricket.”
Long-Standing Cricket Administration Rivalries
The former IPL chairman also named several prominent cricket administrators and political figures while discussing the rival camps during the BCCI elections.
His remarks have once again sparked debate around the power struggles, politics and financial influence that shaped modern Indian cricket during one of the most transformative periods in the sport’s history.
