Former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi has alleged that threats from underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and his network played a significant role in his decision to step away from cricket administration.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Modi claimed he faced repeated intimidation attempts, including alleged extortion pressure and threats linked to illegal betting interests connected to the IPL. He said these incidents influenced his eventual exit from the sport and from India.
Modi recounted an alleged incident from 2012 in London, where he said he was taken to a meeting by a local intermediary and informed that Dawood Ibrahim was on a satellite phone call during the confrontation. He claimed the call included a warning directed at him over his involvement in cricket administration.
The former IPL chief said he felt unsafe during the encounter and suggested that it marked a turning point in his decision to distance himself from cricket-related activities. He also alleged that he was subsequently subjected to repeated pressure through intermediaries linked to betting networks.
Modi further claimed that the relocation of the IPL to South Africa in 2009, due to the Indian general elections, disrupted illegal betting markets and triggered hostility from elements within the underground gambling ecosystem. He said the unexpected shift in fixtures led to financial losses for those involved in betting operations.
According to him, his anti-corruption stance during his tenure as IPL commissioner also contributed to tensions, as he maintained strict measures against suspected match-fixing and betting-related influence within the tournament.
Modi, who was suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2010 following allegations of financial irregularities and administrative misconduct, 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.
Indian authorities have continued to investigate various financial and procedural allegations against him, while Modi has consistently maintained that his departure from India and cricket administration was driven by security concerns.
The allegations made in the interview have not been independently verified by authorities.
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