"Stupid As Usual": Lalit Modi Blasts England Over Kevin Pietersen's IPL Claim

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has backed Kevin Pietersen following the former England captain's explosive remarks accusing the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) of sabotaging his international career. Pietersen stunned the cricketing world by alleging that his time with the England team was cut short due to a dispute with authorities over his participation in the IPL. In a recent interview with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, Pietersen claimed he was targeted by the ECB after choosing to prioritise the IPL. The former batter ended his Test career with 8,181 runs, including 23 centuries and 35 half-centuries.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Lalit Modi came out strongly in support of Pietersen and launched a scathing attack on England Cricket, calling it "a pompous body full of themselves." He also labelled England's franchise tournament, The Hundred, as the "biggest fiasco."

"The biggest sacrifice by @KP24 - and a big boost for the @IPL. Will never forget this. He was critical, as far as I am concerned, for the integrity of the #IPL. Stupid as usual of the @ECB_cricket. A pompous body full of themselves. No care for the players and fans alike. History proves it - first the Stanford fiasco, second the BIGGEST FIASCO WAITING TO HAPPEN: @thehundred. Pity all the owners who bought into this scam of all scams. The fine print on their prospectus says it all," wrote Lalit Modi.

The biggest sacrifice by @KP24 - And a big boost for the @IPL Will never forget this. He was critical as far as I am concerned for the integrity of the #ipl. Stupid as usual of the @ECB_cricket - a pompous body full of themselves. No care for the players and fans alike. History… https://t.co/V7mfOf8VhC

— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) April 6, 2026

Addressing Pietersen's claims, it is worth noting that the ECB had barred centrally contracted players from participating in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Dimitri Mascarenhas was the only English player to feature that season.

In 2009, England allowed players to participate in the IPL within a limited three-week window. Pietersen joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bengaluru) that year, and his decision to prioritise the league reportedly led to severe tensions with the ECB.

"I made big sacrifices. I lost my career. That's the reason why everybody in that establishment went against me," he said. "I was 33 when my England career finished, after 104 Test matches. I should have played 150-160 Tests and scored 12,000-13,000 runs. That's what I should have achieved."

"The ECB used The Telegraph to go after me... I don't want to go too deep into it. It was well-publicized, and I live a very happy, peaceful life now," Pietersen added.

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