It won’t be long before IPL becomes No. 1 sporting league in the world: Lalit Modi

Lalit Modi, the founder and the first commissioner of the Indian Premier League, believes that the cash-rich tournament will grow further and will soon become world's No. 1 sporting league. IPL, which started right after India won the T20 World Cup in 2007, is a brainchild of the former BCCI official.

Even though many assumed that IPL will be a flop in the early days, the tournament emerged as one of the most successful projects of BCCI. Later on, many other cricketing boards tried to follow its model but none could match the popularity or the revenue that BCCI and the each team makes in the IPL.

The tournament saw its 1000th match on Sunday, April 30, when Mumbai Indians hosted Rajasthan Royals at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Modi stated that it is a very emotional time for him and also thanked the fans and stakeholders for making the league what it is.

“I wish to thank them (fans, players, stakeholders and regulators) all for their support. Thank you for making the IPL what it is,” Modi said on Cricbuzz. It’s really an emotional time. It is amazing to see the IPL grow so fast and become the second-biggest league in the world in terms of value. In terms of viewership, it is No 1. More important than that is the number of youngsters we have seen in the landscape of the country. And the infrastructure that has come up across India. That is the byproduct of the IPL’s growth."

In 2013, Modi was banned from BCCI after being found guilty of financial irregularities. However, the former commissioner follows the tournament and stated that it is only a matter of time before it becomes the number one league in the world.

“It’s all because of the fans and how they have embraced the league. It’s only looking like it is growing from strength to strength. It won’t be long before the IPL becomes the No. 1 league in any sport in the world. It is behind the NFL now, No. 2 currently. Going by the rate and speed of the IPL’s growth, that day is not too far," he reiterated.