From a humble tweet to cupboards full of tumbling skeletons, here's how cricket's biggest money-spinner grabbed headlines in 2010
From a humble tweet to cupboards full of tumbling skeletons, here's how cricket's biggest money-spinner grabbed headlines in 2010
It started with a simple tweet by IPL head honcho Lalit Modi, who casually questioned the inteference of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor in the creation of a new IPL team for Kochi. Tharoor promptly denied all allegations, and hit back at Modi, accusing him of pressurising the winning consortium to abandon their bid for the Kerala outfit.
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The media soon got word of a possible cover-up. While Vivek Venugopal, co-owner of the Kochi franchise promised that his consortium would reveal all details of team owners to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, there was no official word for a while about who the other owners were.
On April 13, with the public showdown between Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor over the Kochi team's stake-holding structure snowballing into a major controversy, the BCCI decided to convene a meeting of the IPL Governing Council within 10 days to take a decision on the episode.
Meanwhile, as reports of Rendezvous Sports World serving a legal notice to Modi caused a ripple in Indian cricket administration, Modi maintained there was a question mark over the owners of IPL Kochi franchisee.
Things got murkier after Tharoor's aide let slip that there was a death threat to the Minister, something Modi refused to comment on. In a new twist to the sorry saga, the Kochi franchise then alleged that Lalit Modi was targeting the new team under pressure from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi
Embattled Tharoor said he would not oblige critics by resigning as he had done no wrong in the billowing controversy. By this point, even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was forced to promise, from Washington, a full inquiry into the matter. Lalit Modi's future also began to look a little shaky
The Income Tax decided to look into the matter on April 16. They picked up documents related to IPL's franchisee bidding procedure from Lalit Modi's office and grilled him for seven hours. On April 18, business tycoon Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challenger Bangalore IPL team, admitted that his step daughter Laila Mahmood was the 'mystery woman' who exited Modi's office just before the Income Tax probe
Modi continued to refute allegations of betting and money laundering in the event, saying the charges were "nonsense" and aimed at discrediting the tournament. By this time, on April 20, he was summoned by for a meeting with former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar.
As Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule was dragged into the controversy, Lalit Modi's stint with the BCCI was rumoured to be over.
The story continues. One thing is for sure though. A major casualty of the controversies surrounding the high-flying IPL commissioner is going to be the party culture of the high-profile Twenty20 league. Also, the dark clouds surrounding the game will not cast a shadow on the glittering awards ceremony.
Incriminating evidence has been found against KKR, according to the Income Tax and Indian Revenue Services. The latter raided the Kolkata Knight Riders offices on April 21, and spent close to nine hours there.
The I-T department has also given the BCCI a deadline. Furnish information related to the Rs 18,000-crore IPL brand or face a penalty, they say.
Meanwhile, in related news, some old havelis came to haunt Lalit Modi on April 23. The IPL chief is now the subject of a state-level inquiry into the purchase of four government-owned havelis in a protected area in Jaipur at a fraction of their price by the hospitality firm of which he and his wife are directors.
The I-T department, despite an acute manpower shortage, continued its series of raids on offices and people with any ties to the IPL franchise. There were questions raised on how the championship got a nod to skip the 10 pm rule, and hoteliers also asked for a probe, claiming franchisees had been extorting money for the broadcast of matches.
Finally, on April 23, a shocking Income Tax report was released by the MiD DAY. The IPL is fixed, it said. The report blew the lid off murky deals among players and organisers.
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