Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has made startling claims about the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, asserting that several star Indian cricketers were unwilling to participate in the tournament. In an interview with news agency ANI, Modi disclosed that he personally approached players during India's tour of England that year, urging them to take part in the newly introduced T20 format.
India's England Tour and T20 World Cup
India toured England from July 19 to September 8, 2007, for a three-Test and seven-ODI series. The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 began in South Africa on September 11, just days after the tour concluded. While senior players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly were part of the England tour, they did not feature in India's T20 World Cup squad. Instead, the team was led by MS Dhoni and included relatively inexperienced players such as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, RP Singh, and Irfan Pathan.
Modi's Efforts to Persuade Players
Modi recounted his efforts to convince the players during the England tour. "I went to every player in the dressing room in England when India was touring in 2007. I went and I said, 'Please, I beg you to play the T20.' They said, 'Lalit, are you joking? What is this stupid game? We don't want to play it.' Everybody said that to me in the dressing room. 'Oh, we've had a long tour. We want to be with our families.'" He contrasted this with the current scenario, noting that today no player would dare skip a World Cup, and any such decision would spark public outrage.
BCCI's Decision to Send a Young Side
Modi further revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deliberately chose to send a second-string team to South Africa, rather than the established stars. "The BCCI didn't even send the main team, India team to South Africa to play the World Cup T20. They sent a second team. 'Let's not even send the India team. Let's put our new team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.' Completely raw. Completely green. The Tendulkars, the Dravids, the Saurav Gangulys; none of them played the T20 World Cup. Would you accept that today?" He emphasized that such a move would be unthinkable in the current cricket landscape, where fans and the board would demand the strongest possible squad.
T20 Cricket's Initial Struggles in India
According to Modi, T20 cricket initially struggled to attract attention in India because broadcasters and advertisers did not see value in the format. "Nobody believed in the T20 cricket in India. If there are no eyeballs, there's no advertising dollars. There's no advertising dollars, there's no subscription. If someone is watching, then there will be money. If no one is watching, then there will be no money." He explained that the economics of television and advertising were heavily dependent on viewership, which was lacking at the start.
The Turning Point: Yuvraj Singh's Six Sixes
Modi claimed that the inaugural T20 World Cup did not generate significant viewership until Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in an over against England during a group match. That moment, he said, helped increase interest in the tournament and changed perceptions about the format. "The T20 World Cup in South Africa had no ratings till Yuvraj Singh hit the six sixes. Till that very day. I orchestrated that. It just happened. I just said anybody who makes six sixes or takes six wickets in an over, I'll give you a Porsche. I was trying to make something happen when nobody was wanting to make it happen. I went around the world trying to convince people because I knew it will work." The promise of a Porsche, according to Modi, was a deliberate attempt to create a viral moment that would draw attention to the tournament.
India went on to win the inaugural T20 World Cup, defeating Pakistan in a thrilling final. The victory, coupled with Yuvraj's heroics, played a pivotal role in popularizing T20 cricket in India and eventually led to the creation of the IPL in 2008.
