Sundar Raman -- Lalit Modi and N. Srinivasan's Man Friday

It's no secret that Sundar Raman was the man behind the running of the Indian Premier League. Ever since the IPL was born in 2008, Sundar Raman executed each and every plan of the tournament's first chairman, Lalit Modi.(Sundar Raman Quits as IPL COO)

After Lalit Modi was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Sundar Raman was the right hand man of N. Srinivasan, who dictated almost everything in the affairs of the Board and its lucrative Twenty20 baby, the IPL.(Sundar Raman Not a Decision-Maker in BCCI: Anurag Thakur)

Sundar Raman's troubled times started with the exposure of the 2013 IPL match-fixing and betting scandal. A close ally of Srinivasan, Sundar Raman was investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Mudgal Committee and listed among the 13 persons charged with "misdemeanours".(IPL Scam: Allegations Against Sundar Raman Can't go Un-Probed, Says Supreme Court)

Yet, the 43-year-old former media planner continued to call the shots even as Sunil Gavaskar was appointed interim president to run IPL affairs alongside IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal.

Sundar Raman was mentioned in Mudgal's report to the Supreme Court for "knowing the contact of a bookie and (for) contacting him eight times in one season". Raman had admitted to the Mudgal panel that he was aware of the betting activities by Srinivasan's son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings team official Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals.

The court was upset that Sundar Raman failed to take any action and hinted that his allegiance to Srinivasan could have prevented him to fulfill his obligations honestly.

Subsequently, the Lodha committee was not impressed with Sundar Raman's role in the betting scandal.

While banishing Gurunath and Kundra for life and imposing two-year suspensions on Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the Lodha panel had said: "(it) shall also examine the role of Mr. Sundar Raman with or without further investigation, into his activities, and if found guilty, impose a suitable punishment upon him on behalf of BCCI."

Reportedly, Sundar Raman was to depose before the Lodha committee on November 15. Shashank Manohar's elevation as Board president on October 4 following Jagmohan Dalmiya's death meant doomsday was not far away for the high-profile COO, whose marketing brain helped IPL make the big bucks.

Manohar, one of the very few BCCI officials not scared of facing backlash by heavyweights like Srinivasan, has always been critical of Sundar Raman.

"Raman should have gone immediately after the Mudgal Committee report found him prima facie guilty of wrongdoings," Manohar had said in July. "He ought to have stepped down immediately at that time. Now, to restore the faith of people in IPL and the game, Raman needs to go."

In Nagpur on Monday, Raman was asked to go by the no-nonsense Manohar. Although Raman had held on to his position by taking legal help, his future was always in doubt. He could been officially sacked during the BCCI AGM on November 9. The resignation has saved him public humiliation.

Sundar Raman's exit is a step towards cleaning up the IPL cobwebs. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has admitted recently that IPL was not clean and Raman's exit means the Board will act tough on team owners and players engaging in illegal activities.

Interestingly, the Justice Lodha committee banned Gurunath and Kundra but took no action against erring players. Justice Mudgal had submitted a secret envelope to the Supreme Court that contained 13 names involved with betting. It is understood that at least four top players were active participants with bookies.

Lodha's final report is expected by the end of this year. With Raman gone, will it be able to book all the guilty?