Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has praised International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah's leadership of the global cricket body, asserting that "only business that works today is Indian Cricket." Speaking to ANI in London, Modi highlighted Shah's achievements since taking over as ICC chairman in December 2024.
Modi on Shah's Contribution
Modi said, "I think his contribution has been great from what I see from the outside. Contribution is by access and by getting things done. He is the son of who he is. I'm the son of my grandfather and my father. And I got things done in my life because of my connections." He added, "He started doing that and has been able to... You know a person by the results that he delivers. He has delivered great results. And has taken India into the ICC."
Reflecting on past challenges, Modi noted that during his own tenure alongside Sharad Pawar, they faced opposition from England and Australia. "When we ran the ICC... We had problems. We had forces against us. England, Australia, everybody, they would gang up. Mr Pawar and I, when I was there, we had four people with us. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Today, Pakistan is gone. So now we have the rest of the world with us and the ICC. But Mr Shah has been able to navigate that and take this forward," he added.
Indian Cricket's Dominance
Lalit Modi stated that Jay Shah is "running a declining business in ICC" but emphasized that "only business that works today is Indian cricket. No other board works. So when you say cricket is bigger than anything, yes, Indian cricket is bigger than anything." Defending accusations of BCCI's dominance, he said, "I do not care and I defend it. Simple as that. 30 years ago, England ran everything. 50 years ago, England ran everything. 100 years ago, England ran everything. They would throw you a tukda, chota tukda fenk diya."
He suggested that ICC revenue should be redistributed to other boards, noting that "one IPL match produces even more money than that. The money that you make from the ICC will be a pittance." Modi added, "It used to be 50 per cent of our revenue when I started. BCCI was another 50 per cent of our revenue. Today, IPL is the 90 per cent of the revenue. So why do we care about anybody else's revenue? And everybody else's revenue is shrinking."
India's Dominance in World Cricket
India's dominance in world cricket is fueled by the cash-rich IPL and the emergence of superstars like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. According to ESPNCricinfo, BCCI earns 38.5 per cent of ICC's annual earnings under the 2024-27 commercial cycle, with no other board holding a double-digit share.
Under Jay Shah, the ICC has organized high-profile tournaments including the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, 2026 ICC U19 World Cup, and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup this year. Team India has won all these white-ball titles, establishing itself as a limited-overs superpower.
Additionally, a hybrid model for hosting India-Pakistan matches at neutral venues during tournaments hosted by these nations was approved for the 2024-27 cycle, amid strained political relations between the two countries.
