Lalit Modi revisited some of the biggest controversies of his career, alleging that Dawood Ibrahim’s union targeted him, defending his decision to stay abroad, accusing Congress leaders of trying to undermine the Indian Premier League, and offering his views on Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“David tried to kill me three times.”
One of Lalit Modi’s most dramatic claims concerns Dawood Ibrahim and the betting syndicates he said operate around cricket.
Modi claimed that his efforts to curb illegal betting and match-fixing networks during the formative years of the Indian Premier League put him in direct conflict with powerful underworld interests. He claimed that the Dawoud Ibrahim Syndicate targeted him several times, and said that there were three alleged attempts on his life. He further claimed that his son had once been kidnapped and that threats against his family eventually convinced him to stay away from cricket management.
He also narrated that he received threatening calls allegedly linked to Daoud’s network, saying law enforcement agencies were aware of some of those calls.
He refuses to be called a “fugitive.”
Modi strongly rejected calling him a fugitive, arguing that if the Indian authorities really wanted to bring him back, they could have done so years ago.
He said he was not hiding from the Indian government and insisted that his decision to remain abroad was driven by security concerns and not an attempt to evade authorities. Modi confirmed that the accusations against him were politically motivated, and said that he chose to stay away from India because of the threats to his life.
Rahul Gandhi uses my name during elections
The former IPL president also targeted opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
According to Modi, Rahul Gandhi repeatedly mentions his name during election campaigns and political speeches because of the emotional connection between Indians and cricket. He claimed that “every time there is an election” Rahul Gandhi attacks him to galvanize public sentiment and score political points.
These comments come years after Rahul Gandhi’s “Modi nickname” comments, in which he mentioned Lalit Modi’s name along with other personalities during a political speech.
Read also: Inside Lalit Modi’s lavish mansion in London which gives a glimpse into the former IPL president’s lavish lifestyle
Modi says Congress leaders wanted to ban IPL
Lalit Modi alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government created obstacles for the Indian Premier League, especially during the 2009 season.
He claimed that the then Home Minister P Chidambaram opposed holding the tournament in India during the Lok Sabha election period and that the Congress-ruled states were not ready to cooperate with the scheduling of the event. According to Modi, repeated attempts were made to revise the fixture list before the tournament was eventually moved to South Africa.
New allegations regarding Kochi IPL franchise row
Modi revisited the controversy surrounding the now-defunct Kochi IPL franchise and renewed his criticism of Congress leaders linked to the episode.
He claimed that former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor called him regarding questions raised about the franchise’s ownership structure and the role of late businesswoman Sunanda Pushkar.
Modi claimed that Tharoor warned him against pursuing the case and alleged that senior Congress figures, including political mediators and ministers of the time, sought to put pressure on him during the controversy. He also claimed that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi supported Tharoor during the dispute.
What did he say about Narendra Modi?
Despite his criticism of many political figures, Lalit Modi spoke positively about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that the Prime Minister was keenly interested in cricket infrastructure and they interacted on cricket-related matters, especially regarding development of facilities in Ahmedabad. However, Lalit Modi maintained that their relationship centered on cricket and sports management rather than politics.
A biopic is in the works, Ranveer Singh is interested in it
Away from politics and controversy, Modi revealed that a film about his life is in the works.
According to him, the project is currently in the research and writing stage. He also revealed that actor Ranveer Singh has shown interest in portraying him on screen and said that he believes the actor would be suitable for the role.
Read also: Ranveer Singh wanted to star in a Lalit Modi biopic, says the former IPL chief
Back to India?
Asked whether he intends to return to India, Modi noted that his priorities have changed over the years. He said he no longer feels the same urgency to prove himself and noted that a return to India is not currently high on his agenda. He reiterated that the accusations against him were politically motivated and denied any wrongdoing.
