Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner has again raised a huge controversy by alleging that there was a plan by the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his syndication to influence the Indian Premier League. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Modi said there were continuous attempts of intimidation and threats against him which forced him to quit all his association with cricket administration.
According to Lalit Modi, the underworld network allegedly attempted to exert pressure on him during his tenure as IPL chief between 2008 and 2010. He claimed that the syndicate wanted influence over IPL operations and even demanded control-related leverage tied to betting losses in the underground market.
Watch here:
Explosive revelations by Lalit Modi on IPL, Dawood, Chota Shakeel and more. pic.twitter.com/LILS5TzKdH
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) June 4, 2026
2012 London Confrontation Linked to Dawood Ibrahim?
Lalit Modi said his life was threatened when Dawood Ibrahim called him from satellite phone in a penthouse in London in 2012, and that was when his relationship with those behind the underworld had taken a turn.A proportion of the problem has to do with the sale of a big cricket event in 2009 to South Africa for the IPL due to the elections in India. That caused the betting syndicates to lose a lot of money because of the shortfall in bets. This is why the syndicates only became very angry, Modi claimed.
🚨 SMITA PRAKASH : Why you left IPL?
LALIT MODI : “I have never told this story to anyone. In 2012, I received a call at 3:30 am while I was at a mysterious Baba’s penthouse”
“It was Dawood Ibrahim” 😳
“I don’t know where Dawood was when I spoke to him on the phone”
“Dawood… https://t.co/I2gJ9dYOFT pic.twitter.com/BxOOpTvSGO
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) June 4, 2026
Did Anti-Corruption Stand Put Lalit Modi in Danger?
The former IPL chief further claimed that his strict anti-corruption measures, including blocking suspected spot-fixers and rejecting bribes, intensified hostility from illegal betting networks, escalating threats against him across multiple countries.
Modi said that the pressure ultimately led to his exit from cricket administration. He alleged that after repeated intimidation, he chose to step away from the sport, which he described as one of the biggest reasons for his departure from the IPL ecosystem.
While Lalit Modi’s statements have fueled debate around cricket and corruption, they remain his personal allegations. However, they have once again brought the IPL’s early years and its controversial intersections with betting networks back into public discussion.
