"Losing Rs 2,400 crores": Lalit Modi slams BCCI over IPL 2026 structure
Published - 07 Apr 2026, 06:54 PM | Updated - 07 Apr 2026, 06:57 PM
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Lalit Modi, former commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), makes a massive statement amid the IPL 2026 season. He claimed that the league is missing an outstanding amount of INR 2,400 crore because of the modified format on which the league is currently operating.
Modi mentioned that after the competition became a ten-team league in 2022, the chances to generate higher revenue also increased in parallel, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been underutilising the opportunity.
BCCI has the opportunity to generate more money, Lalit Modi claimed
According to Lalit Modi, if the league continues to operate on a home-and-away match basis, then there could be 90 fixtures in the league phase, followed by the knockout stage and then the grand finale.
Currently, there are 74 matches by altering the home-and-away system. While speaking with the Sportstar, the former IPL commissioner explained how the BCCI earned from the cash-rich league.
Would be worth an extra Rs 2,400 crore: Modi
"For every game, the BCCI gets 50 per cent, and the remaining 50 per cent is distributed to teams. Consequently, teams are now losing out on 20 games. It is a contractual obligation, given the fees they are paying, to provide them with home-and-away fixtures," Lalit Modi said during the interview.
"If there were 94 matches today on a home-and-away basis at Rs 118 crore per game, the media rights alone would be worth an extra Rs 2,400 crore. That is Rs 2,400 crore in additional revenue for the BCCI," he explained.
With the additional amount of revenue, both parties— the team's and the board's— could gain benefits. If the tournament were held through the home and away match structure, then each team could have had the opportunity to fetch Rs 120 crores, and the value could have been even higher.
"Of this, Rs 1,200 crore would have gone to the 10 teams, Rs 120 crore each, and team values would automatically have been higher", he further claimed during the interaction.
Modi asks BCCI to organise the Indian Premier League in a home-and-away system
Modi emphasized that the main value of the franchise tournament lies in the home and away match system. If there is a shortage of time, then the board should not increase the number of teams, Lalit Modi's suggestion to the board. He further claimed that there can be reasons, but it is a contractual obligation and a commercial transaction for the participating franchises.
"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 asserted.
"Why are they not playing home and away? There are excuses, but it is a contractual obligation and a commercial transaction for the teams", Lalit Modi continued.
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