The 2007 T20 World Cup changed the course of cricket in more ways than one. While India’s triumph in the inaugural tournament remains one of the most memorable moments in the country’s cricketing history, it also set the stage for a transformation that would reshape the sport globally. The success of the event paved the way for the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, which has since become the biggest franchise cricket tournament in the world and a major revenue generator for the BCCI. Then BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi was the driving force behind the league, playing a key role in bringing the T20 format into the spotlight and turning it into a commercially successful product.
India’s victory in South Africa also played a huge part in making T20 cricket a household phenomenon across the country. However, not many believed the team would go on to win the title when the squad was announced. Senior stars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid chose to skip the tournament, leaving India with a young and relatively inexperienced squad led by MS Dhoni. With limited expectations and little experience in the format, India travelled to South Africa as outsiders.
What followed was one of the most remarkable campaigns in Indian cricket. Dhoni’s young side played fearless cricket throughout the tournament and exceeded all expectations. They eventually defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in a dramatic final to lift the inaugural T20 World Cup trophy, a victory that not only marked the arrival of a new generation but also helped usher in a new era for the game.
Meanwhile, Lalit Modi recently recalled the lack of enthusiasm surrounding the inaugural T20 World Cup, revealing that several senior Indian players were reluctant to participate in the tournament. Speaking in an interview, the former BCCI vice-president said he personally visited the Indian dressing room during the team’s tour of England in 2007 and urged players to take part in the event, only to be met with widespread resistance as many viewed the format as insignificant and preferred to spend time with their families after a long 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.’ 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,” Modi told ANI.
“BCCI didn’t even send the main team”
Modi also highlighted how little importance was attached to the inaugural T20 World Cup at the time, recalling that India travelled to South Africa with a young and inexperienced squad led by MS Dhoni while several senior stars opted out. He argued that such a move would be unthinkable in the modern era, given the significance of the format it now carries.
“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.
