Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi said a phone call from fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim prompted his departure from cricket administration.
The allegation suggests a direct link between organized crime and the highest levels of professional cricket management during the league's formative years. Such claims highlight the security vulnerabilities and corruption risks associated with the rapid commercialization of the sport.
Modi recalled a conversation that took place during the initial years of the IPL, roughly between 2008 and 2010 [1]. During this call, Ibrahim allegedly offered him hundreds of millions of dollars [1] to facilitate match-fixing operations.
Modi said the nature of the interaction left him terrified. He said the experience was a primary driver for his decision to step away from his role in cricket administration [1], [2].
The fugitive gangster Ibrahim has long been a target of international law enforcement. This account places the underworld's interests directly in the path of the IPL's early leadership, a period marked by explosive growth and subsequent controversy.
Modi did not provide specific details on the duration of the contact or whether other officials were approached. He said the threat and the attempted bribe were the catalysts for his exit [1], [2].
“Ibrahim allegedly offered him hundreds of millions of dollars to facilitate match-fixing.”
These allegations provide a rare glimpse into the perceived intersection of global organized crime and sports governance. If true, the scale of the bribe suggests that the IPL was viewed as a high-value target for money laundering and match-fixing almost from its inception, indicating that the financial stakes of the league may have outpaced its early regulatory and security frameworks.
