New Delhi: Lalit Modi’s story started out as nothing short of a milestone and he became a billionaire. From conceptualising the Indian Premier League to being rejected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1995 to becoming the youngest vice-president of the BCCI, Modi has come a long way. In a recent discussion, he recalled an episode from 2007 involving former World Cup-winning Indian legend Yuvraj Singh.
In a recent discussion, Modi spoke about the memorable incident of Yuvraj hitting six sixes in an over against England in a T20 World Cup match being played at Kingsmead, Durban and how that historic encounter led to the foundation of the IPL. He also spoke about Yuvraj giving a Hero Honda bat to Stuart Broad in return for beating him on September 19, 2007.
“Nobody has hit six sixes in an over, nobody has taken six wickets in an over. Whoever hits six sixes (in an over) or takes six wickets, I will give him a Porsche from my pocket. It has nothing to do with the BCCI. And one day, Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes. Oh my God, those six sixes started the IPL, you know. It set Indian television, news channels on fire,” Modi said while talking to famous YouTuber Raj Shamni.
“Yuvraj came running to me on the field and said, ‘Lalit, where is my Porsche?’ I said, ‘Give me the bat’ and put the bat down,” Modi said.
Modi has played a key role in commercial matters related to the IPL and Indian cricket. He was the founder and first president of this prestigious league. Apart from this, he also served as the league commissioner of the competition till 2010. His tenure as BCCI vice-president lasted from 2005 to 2010, after which he fled the country in search of safety.
