‘Not What We Sold’: Lalit Modi Criticises IPL Format, Flags Rs 2,400 Crore Loss

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has claimed that the league is losing out on an additional Rs 2,400 crore in revenue by not adhering to its originally agreed format.

Despite the addition of two new teams, the Indian Premier League continues to operate with 74 matches.

Under a full home-and-away structure where each team faces the other twice, the total number of fixtures would rise to 94.

Modi, while expressing satisfaction over the league’s rising valuation following the sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals for a combined Rs 31,000 crore, urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India to restore the original format to recover the perceived losses.

“(For) every game, the BCCI gets 50 per cent, and the remaining 50 per cent is distributed to teams. So, teams are now losing out on 20 games. It is by contractual obligation for the fees that they’re paying to provide them home and away,” Modi told Sportstar.

Why Is the IPL Not Following the Full Home-and-Away Format?

“The home-and-away format is where the value lies. If there is no space in the calendar, do not increase the number of teams. It is as simple as that. That is not what we sold. Has everybody signed off on this? I guarantee they have not,” he added.

Modi also stated that the reduction in matches is preventing franchises from maximising their revenues, estimating that each team is forfeiting nearly Rs 120 crore annually due to the revised format.

“If there were 94 matches today on a home and away basis – Rs 118 crore a game – it’s Rs 2,400 crore, just the media rights. That’s Rs 2,400 crores extra that’s coming to the BCCI,” he claimed.

“Out of this, Rs 1,200 crores would have gone to the 10 teams, each team would have got 120 crores, and the team value should have automatically been higher,” he added.