"Went to dressing room and begged them to play" T20: Lalit Modi recalls persuading India stars for 2007 World Cup
London, June 4
Former Indian Premier League chairperson Lalit Modi has recalled how he personally approached Indian cricketers in the dressing room during Team India's 2007 tour of England, urging them to participate in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup, saying the format was initially met with scepticism within the team.
India's tour of England took place from July 19 to September 8, 2007, comprising a three-match Test series and a seven-match ODI series, just days before the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 got underway on September 11. While senior stars such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were part of the squad for the England tour, the team selected for the T20 World Cup featured a younger core, with several experienced players absent. Led by MS Dhoni, India's squad included players such as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and others.
Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Lalit Modi revealed that he personally approached Indian players during the 2007 tour of England and urged them to take part in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup. However, he said many players were reluctant to play the new format, calling it a "stupid game" and citing fatigue after a long tour and a desire to spend time with their families. The IPL Founder contrasted that attitude with the present day, saying the significance of T20 cricket has grown so much that any player opting out of a World Cup now would trigger widespread criticism from fans, players and administrators alike.
"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.' Now, today, would the public, number one, the players, number two, the administrator, number three, accept a player not playing the World Cup? There'd be uproar," he said.
Lalit Modi further stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not send its full-strength side to the 2007 T20 World Cup, instead backing a young and relatively inexperienced team led by MS Dhoni. Highlighting the absence of several established stars, he noted that such a decision would be unthinkable in the modern era, given the importance attached to World Cup tournaments by fans, players and administrators.
"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? Today, if the Indian team is to go to the World Cup, any World Cup, would you accept a B team? Would the public accept a B team? Would the board accept a B team?" he added.
Lalit said T20 cricket initially lacked support in India, with limited viewership making it unattractive to broadcasters and advertisers.
"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. Today, anything that has eyeballs is going to get the money from the advertisers," he said.
The former Cricket Administrator also claimed that the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa initially struggled with viewership until Yuvraj Singh's six sixes in an over brought major attention to the tournament. He said the moment significantly boosted interest and ratings. Lalit Modi further added that he actively promoted such standout performances and worked to build global support for T20 cricket when few believed in its potential success.
"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 push. 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," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Lalit Modi may be controversial but you can't deny his vision for T20 cricket. He saw potential when nobody else did. That said, I do think BCCI was right to send a young team – it gave Dhoni a chance to lead and look what happened! Sometimes the gamble pays off massively. 🙌
Reading this brings back memories. I remember thinking "why are they sending a B team to a World Cup?" But then Dhoni's team went and won it! That tournament showed Indian cricket's depth. And yes, today no one would dare skip a World Cup – the pressure would be insane. Times have changed so much. 😅
As someone who was in England during that 2007 tour, I remember the excitement around the T20 World Cup. The seniors were exhausted after a long summer of Tests and ODIs. Can't really blame them for wanting a break. But Modi's persistence paid off – T20 is now a global phenomenon. Amazing how one decision changed cricket forever.
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Modi's contribution to T20 is undeniable. On the other hand, the way he orchestrated things and his later controversies make him a complicated figure. Still, credit where it's due – he pushed T20 when no one believed in it. And that young Indian team under Dhoni? Pure magic! ✨
It's wild to think that the seniors called T20 a "stupid game." Now it's the most watched format by far. And Yuvraj's six sixes... that was the moment T20 went mainstream globally.
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