Former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi has alleged that repeated intimidation from underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and his network was a key factor behind his decision to step away from cricket administration.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Modi claimed he faced sustained pressure linked to illegal betting interests connected to the IPL, including alleged threats and attempts at extortion. He said the situation made it increasingly difficult for him to continue in cricket governance.
Modi also described an alleged 2012 incident in London, where he said he was taken to a meeting arranged by an intermediary and informed that Dawood Ibrahim was on a satellite phone call during the confrontation. He claimed the call included direct threats related to his role in the IPL.
According to Modi, the episode left him shaken and marked a turning point in his decision to distance himself from cricket administration. He further alleged that he continued to receive pressure through intermediaries linked to betting syndicates after the incident.
He also pointed to the 2009 IPL season, when the tournament was relocated to South Africa due to India’s general elections, saying the move disrupted betting markets and triggered hostility from those involved in illegal wagering. Modi claimed this led to increased pressure on him from underground networks.
Modi said his strict stance against corruption and attempts to curb match-fixing during his tenure as IPL commissioner had already created friction with those linked to illegal betting operations.
The former IPL chief, who was suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2010 over allegations of financial and administrative irregularities, left India the same year and has since been based in the United Kingdom. He was later handed a lifetime ban by the BCCI in 2013.
Authorities in India have continued to probe various allegations against him, while Modi has consistently maintained that his departure from India and cricket administration was driven by security concerns.
The claims made in the interview have not been independently verified.
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