Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has strongly criticised Sanjiv Goenka, owner of the Lucknow Super Giants, after Lucknow Super Giants owner credited former Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jay Shah for the league’s growth. Goenka, who praised Shah’s vision for building a strong foundation for the IPL. The dispute began after a social media post by Goenka referencing the record-breaking sale values of two franchises — Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A Kal Somani-led consortium reportedly acquired Rajasthan Royals for $1.63 billion, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the most expensive franchise in IPL history after being bought for $1.78 billion by a consortium that includes the Aditya Birla Group, Blackstone, Times of India Group and Bolt Ventures.
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In his post, Goenka attributed the league’s growing valuation to its structural design, especially the media rights model, rather than to individuals. His remarks appeared to downplay Modi’s role in conceptualising the IPL. Reacting sharply on social media platform X, Modi accused Goenka of forgetting the origins of the league and called him a “clown”. In his post, Modi claimed Goenka had “memory loss” about who conceived the IPL model and asserted that history could not be rewritten through a tweet.
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How the IPL Began
The origins of the IPL date back to the early 2000s, when the idea of a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket league began to take shape. One of the key turning points came in December 2003 when Lalit Modi, then largely outside mainstream cricket administration, announced his intention to enter the sport’s governing ecosystem. Within a few years, with political backing and structural shifts within the Rajasthan Cricket Association, Modi rose to become its president, gaining a foothold in cricket administration.
Initially, the concept of a city-based T20 league struggled to gain support within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, the scenario changed dramatically with the launch of the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL) by media baron Subhash Chandra. The privately funded league, which featured a mix of international and domestic players, posed a direct challenge to the BCCI’s control over Indian cricket. Concerned about losing players and commercial dominance, the BCCI moved quickly to create its own T20 competition. In September 2007, the IPL was officially announced with the backing of the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC). The launch coincided with 2007 ICC World Twenty20, where India’s victory helped popularise the T20 format and generate massive public interest.
