Lalit Modi, the founder and the first commissioner of the Indian Premier League, believes that the cash-rich tournament will grow further and will soon become world’s No. 1 sporting league. IPL, which started right after India won the T20 World Cup in 2007, is a brainchild of the former BCCI official.
“I wish to thank them (fans, players, stakeholders and regulators) all for their support. Thank you for making the IPL what it is,” Modi said on Cricbuzz. It’s really an emotional time. It is amazing to see the IPL grow so fast and become the second-biggest league in the world in terms of value. In terms of viewership, it is No 1. More important than that is the number of youngsters we have seen in the landscape of the country. And the infrastructure that has come up across India. That is the byproduct of the IPL’s growth.”
“It’s all because of the fans and how they have embraced the league. It’s only looking like it is growing from strength to strength. It won’t be long before the IPL becomes the No. 1 league in any sport in the world. It is behind the NFL now, No. 2 currently. Going by the rate and speed of the IPL’s growth, that day is not too far,” he reiterated.
