Lalit Modi drops another IPL bombshell!
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi claimed that he broke broadcasting rules for the first match of the tournament back in 2008 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL encounter. Modi said that he was willing to ‘break every rule in the book’ given the magnitude of the occasion. Modi claimed that he was worried about the reach that Sony Network had at that moment and decided to override their exclusive broadcasting rights. Instead, he instructed other broadcasters as well as news channels to go live with the match at the same time. “Everything, everything was dependent on that one game. I broke every rule in the book that day. I signed the contract, an exclusive contract with Sony, but Sony didn’t have the reach. I said open the signal. Was it now available everywhere? And I told all the broadcasters who lost out, all of you, all news channels, go live,” Lalit told Michael Clarke during a recent podcast. Sony said, ‘I’ll sue you. ‘I said ‘Sue me later, forget about it? Ok, we are going live now because you don’t have the reach. I needed everybody to watch the first game. If the first game had flopped, I was dead.” Following his recent revelations about IPL broadcasting, Lalit Modi found himself embroiled in a major controversy once again after he released a video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreeshanth during the IPL 2008. The ‘Slapgate’ row caused a huge stir at that time, but Harbhajan heavily criticized Lalit Modi for revealing the video after such a long time. “The way the video has been leaked it’s wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it,” Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood.
Harbhajan spins again; Convinces BCCI to organize IPL Play-Offs in Punjab
Harbhajan Singh, a former India international spinner and currently the Chief Advisor of Punjab Cricket Association, has spun once again to convince the IPL organizers to organize the IPL’s forthcoming Play-Offs in Punjab. The initiative came from Harbhajan after the news of the IPL Play-Offs’ venues shifting from Hyderabad and Kolkata to New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. According to sources close to BCCI, a report from a leading national daily revealed that Harbhajan Singh played a huge role in shifting the fixtures to Punjab. He reportedly took pains to convince the top brass of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of the stadium’s suitability to host the matches in the present weather conditions. “Harbhajan pushed hard for it. He convinced key decision-makers that New Chandigarh is ready, both in terms of facilities and audience enthusiasm. He wasn’t just lobbying; he was deeply involved in inspection visits, pitch discussions, and logistical planning,” confirmed a source to IANS. Harbhajan, the Chief Cricketing Advisor of the Punjab Cricket Association, has been actively promoting cricket in the region post-retirement and has always voiced concerns about the lack of international and IPL-level matches in Punjab after Mohali’s decline as a regular host venue. With the successful completion of the stadium in Mullanpur, he saw an opportunity to bring elite-level cricket back to the heartland. The BCCI announced the schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Playoffs on Tuesday. After 70 action-packed league-stage matches, the spotlight will shift to the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh as it gears up to host the much-awaited Qualifier 1 – featuring the top two-ranked sides on May 29, followed by an engrossing Eliminator clash on May 30. Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium in the world will host an electrifying Qualifier 2 and the grand Final. Qualifier 2, to be played between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator, will take place on June 1. The highly anticipated summit clash is set to be played on June 3. The new venues for the Playoffs were decided by the IPL Governing Council, keeping in mind the weather conditions and other parameters.
