IPL Owners "Publicly Berating Captains Right On Boundary": Lalit Modi Takes A Dig?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in its 19th season. Over the years, the IPL has grown into one of the major leagues across the world. It all started with the idea pitched by Lalit Modi to the BCCI in the early 2000s. Lalit Modi is no longer associated with the IPL. He left India in 2010 in a haze of allegations related to tax evasion, money-laundering and proxy ownership linked to the money-minting IPL. The Enforcement Directorate has claimed that Lalit Modi manipulated the process of assigning broadcast rights of the IPL in 2009, reportedly in exchange for a kickback of over 125 crores.

He, however, continues to oberseve the IPL closely, often putting out his opinions on the cricket tournament. His latest post came amid a viral video which showed intense chat between Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain Rishabh Pant. The chat happened after LSG lost to Delhi Capitals in their first IPL 2026 match. Earlier in 2024, Goenka was involved in a heated chat with then LSG captain KL Rahul.

Commenting on the two incidents, Lalit Modi wrote on X: "While football league owners treat players with respect, long-term vision, and professionalism, IPL owners are often busy chasing hype and headlines, publicly berating captains right on the boundary after tough losses.

"Long-term infrastructure over throwing money at instant stardom? Real fan-first culture with decent stadium experiences? Sustainable models with competitive balance and some professional conduct, less drama, more brand building? Who would've thought.

"But, IPL already has the money, glamour, and eyeballs, with franchises hitting billion-dollar valuations. Imagine if owners adopted that football-level patience and class... the valuations might actually make even more sense. That's my spicy reality check!"

The picture says it all at the sidelines of the @LucknowIPL @IPL game pic.twitter.com/I7N1FBN31B

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) April 2, 2026

Goenka showed his suport for Rishabh Pant after the match. "This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength. To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today, we will come back stronger. The story of @LucknowIPL this season is far from written," he wrote on X.

Topics mentioned in this article

Lucknow Super Giants Delhi Capitals Rishabh Pant IPL 2026 Cricket