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The 2009 Lok Sabha elections were fast approaching, and they were on a collision course with the cash-rich IPL. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was uncertain whether the tournament could go ahead as scheduled, with election security expected to stretch the country’s resources.
There was a whirlwind of meetings, speculation and uncertainty. After the IPL’s hugely successful inaugural season, no one had a clear idea how the tournament would be staged. Yet, IPL founder and then chairman Lalit Modi had a contingency plan. He was prepared to fight a full-fledged battle with a section of Union Cabinet ministers—something very few would have dared to do.
For Modi, one thing was non-negotiable: the IPL could not be compromised because of the general elections. He kept his cards extremely close to his chest, revealing little to anyone.
The entire media was in the dark—and I was no exception. Over the years, I had managed to break several exclusive stories thanks to Modi, but this was different. The issue was simply too sensitive. He was unavailable for comment, and so was everyone in his inner circle.
Then came a Saturday that changed everything.
I happened to speak to one of the IPL’s senior executives and casually asked him about the possible solution to the crisis.
“So, is the IPL happening in India or outside?” I asked.
The reply was instant.
“Not here. It’s going to South Africa.”
I was ecstatic. My first thought was that another front-page exclusive was about to carry my byline. Back then, I actually kept count of my front-page stories, and in just four years at The Times of India, I had already crossed the 150 mark.
With a broad smile on my face, I walked up to my editor and mentor, Arindam Sengupta, to share what I believed was a blockbuster scoop. He was busy editing a copy and, without looking up for long, asked me to first discuss it with the other senior editors.
I did exactly as Arindam Sir — as I always addressed him — had instructed. But not one of the editors was convinced. The idea of the IPL being shifted to South Africa at such short notice sounded too far-fetched. They all urged me to verify my sources once again.
On their insistence, I tried calling Lalit Modi, hoping for a confirmation. There was no response.
The editors’ argument was simple and logical: a tournament of the IPL’s scale could not possibly be moved to another country within such a short timeframe. With no official confirmation and my principal source remaining unavailable, I had little choice but to let the story go.
The next morning, a rival newspaper carried a screaming front-page lead: “NRIPL.”
That was the moment I knew I had let a big one slip.
Soon, my phone rang. It was Arindam Sir.
In his trademark style, he asked calmly, “Where’s the IPL story you were so excited about? I couldn’t find it in today’s paper.”
I explained that I had dropped it because none of the senior editors believed the IPL could be shifted to South Africa at such short notice. Without their backing — and with Lalit Modi unavailable for confirmation — I decided not to file the story.
The next moment, Arindam Sir was furious.
“Did anyone stop you from writing it?” he shot back. “Was there any physical or technical barrier that prevented you from filing the story?”
I had no answer.
His message was crystal clear: if you trust your source and believe in your story, it is your responsibility as a reporter to write it. Let the editors decide what to do with it — but never kill your own exclusive out of self-doubt.
The lesson stayed with me forever. And, as they say, the rest is history.
The IPL eventually moved to South Africa in 2009, and at the heart of that extraordinary operation was Modi. Against all odds, he pulled off what many had considered impossible — relocating the world’s biggest T20 league to another country in a matter of weeks without compromising the tournament’s scale or success. It remains one of the most remarkable logistical achievements in the history of global sport.
Now, with an appellate tribunal quashing the penalties imposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Modi in a decade-old foreign exchange case linked to the 2009 IPL season in South Africa, I couldn’t help but revisit this forgotten chapter. It is a story worth telling because it captures the sheer audacity, conviction and risk-taking that defined Modi’s leadership during one of the IPL’s biggest crises. Of course, none of it would have been possible without the backing of the BCCI, which stood firmly behind the decision to ensure the tournament went ahead.
As suggested by Modi himself that he could return to India after 16 years, his comeback will inevitably rekindle debates about his legacy. Whatever opinions people may hold about him, one fact is difficult to dispute: without his vision and willingness to take bold decisions, the IPL may never have become the global sporting phenomenon it is today. Whether he has another chapter to write in Indian cricket remains to be seen, but if history is any guide, few would bet against him making headlines once again.
