IPL caught everyone’s imagination after Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes, says Lalit Modi in candid interview

Lalit Modi has left India. He has been accused of instigating and being a part of corruption in the Indian cricketing business, especially its flagship yearly show—the Indian Premier League. He has appeared on a recent podcast with Raj Shamani where he has been asked all sorts of questions. He defended some, deflected some, accepted some and remained vague about the most.

He talked about the inside conversations during various tournaments and how he was instrumental in creating a money machine for the BCCI. 

In one such stories, he credited Yuvraj Singh’s legendary six sixes in an over effort to create an enigma around T20s and eventually the IPL. Yuvraj hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in a T20 World Cup match against England in 2007. The IPL was launched the very next year 2008. Since then the tournament has only grown in stature and money making potential.

Lalit Modi said, “This is the key. Nobody understood it. Main players are not playing. New players are playing. An idea came. Nobody has ever hit six sixes in a row or taken six wickets in an over. Anybody who hit six sixes or take six wickets, I will get you a Porsche out of my pocket. Ha ha, everybody laughed, you give us impossible tasks. I am very friendly with players as part of the BCCI. And then one fine day Yuvraj Singh blasted six sixes. My god, those six sixes started the IPL…it caught everyone’s imagination.”

The podcast came one day ahead of the IPL Mega Auction happening right now. Whether Lalit Modi is trying to influence the process is the question his critics are asking!

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