'Dawood Ibrahim is a known...': Lalit Modi accused the D-gang for his exit from IPL
Modi claimed that his refusal to tolerate match-fixing and illegal betting activities put him at odds with the underworld and eventually contributed to his exit from cricket administration
- Jun 5, 2026,
- Updated Jun 5, 2026 2:34 PM IST
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has alleged that powerful betting syndicates linked to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim attempted to influence the Indian Premier League (IPL) during its early years and offered him massive sums of money to look the other way. In an interview with journalist Smita Prakash on ANI, Modi claimed that his refusal to tolerate match-fixing and illegal betting activities put him at odds with the underworld and eventually contributed to his exit from cricket administration.
“Because I didn’t look the other way when they wanted to fix matches. I threw people out, I did not allow fixing to take place. They offered me hundreds of millions of dollars to look the other way,” Modi said.
MUST READ: 'IPL money is being siphoned off': Lalit Modi's explosive charge against BCCI
“Dawood Ibrahim is a known bookmaker; he controls the cricket book. In those days, it used to be $2 billion of underground betting; today it’s $4 billion of underground betting a game. It’s huge,” Modi claimed.
Modi argued that modern cricket corruption is no longer limited to fixing the outcome of entire matches. Instead, he claimed that betting syndicates focus on manipulating smaller moments within a game. Defending his tenure as IPL chief, Modi maintained that the league remained free from fixing controversies during the first three years under his leadership because of the strict measures he implemented.
According to Modi, betting interests suffered major losses when the IPL was shifted to South Africa in 2009 due to India’s general elections. He alleged that many bettors had wagered heavily that the tournament would not take place, only to see it successfully relocated and conducted overseas.
“The main reason is they believed that I would not be able to do IPL 2. There were big bets taken that IPL 2 will not happen,” Modi said.
He further claimed that he was later informed that certain individuals wanted him to compensate for the losses incurred by those bets.
Modi alleged that his actions against betting operators and his decision to proceed with IPL 2009 despite logistical challenges made him a target of underworld-linked networks. Asked whether the pressure connected to Dawood Ibrahim played a role in his retirement from cricket administration, Modi replied: “It’s one of the biggest reasons. I’ve never said this before.”
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has alleged that powerful betting syndicates linked to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim attempted to influence the Indian Premier League (IPL) during its early years and offered him massive sums of money to look the other way. In an interview with journalist Smita Prakash on ANI, Modi claimed that his refusal to tolerate match-fixing and illegal betting activities put him at odds with the underworld and eventually contributed to his exit from cricket administration.
“Because I didn’t look the other way when they wanted to fix matches. I threw people out, I did not allow fixing to take place. They offered me hundreds of millions of dollars to look the other way,” Modi said.
MUST READ: 'IPL money is being siphoned off': Lalit Modi's explosive charge against BCCI
“Dawood Ibrahim is a known bookmaker; he controls the cricket book. In those days, it used to be $2 billion of underground betting; today it’s $4 billion of underground betting a game. It’s huge,” Modi claimed.
Modi argued that modern cricket corruption is no longer limited to fixing the outcome of entire matches. Instead, he claimed that betting syndicates focus on manipulating smaller moments within a game. Defending his tenure as IPL chief, Modi maintained that the league remained free from fixing controversies during the first three years under his leadership because of the strict measures he implemented.
According to Modi, betting interests suffered major losses when the IPL was shifted to South Africa in 2009 due to India’s general elections. He alleged that many bettors had wagered heavily that the tournament would not take place, only to see it successfully relocated and conducted overseas.
“The main reason is they believed that I would not be able to do IPL 2. There were big bets taken that IPL 2 will not happen,” Modi said.
He further claimed that he was later informed that certain individuals wanted him to compensate for the losses incurred by those bets.
Modi alleged that his actions against betting operators and his decision to proceed with IPL 2009 despite logistical challenges made him a target of underworld-linked networks. Asked whether the pressure connected to Dawood Ibrahim played a role in his retirement from cricket administration, Modi replied: “It’s one of the biggest reasons. I’ve never said this before.”