The creator of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its first chairman, Lalit Modi, launched a scathing attack on Sanjiv Goenka after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner appeared to downplay his role in the league’s meteoric rise in valuation.
The remarks came in the wake of blockbuster deals involving two IPL franchises, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, both of which fetched billion-dollar valuations in recent acquisitions.
A consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group, Blackstone, Times of India Group and Bolt Ventures acquired RCB for $1.78 billion after a weeks-long bidding war. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals was bought by a US-based Kal Somani-led consortium for USD 1.63 billion (approx ₹15,290 crore).
ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah at the Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru? One hopes it’s a routine check-up
Celebrating the surge, Goenka credited the IPL’s structural evolution, particularly its media rights model, but made no mention of Modi in his post.
“@rajasthanroyals, acquired for roughly ₹270 crore in 2008, have just been sold for over ₹15,000 crore. @RCBTweets, acquired for roughly ₹485 crore, sold for over ₹16,600 crore. Two franchises, same week, each over ₹15,000 crore,” Goenka wrote on X.
“That value was built by the architecture of the IPL. The way broadcast and digital rights were structured. The governance that gave brands confidence to invest at premium levels. Much of this traces back to the vision of @JayShah,” he added.
The omission did not sit well with Lalit, who conceptualised and launched the IPL in 2008. Reacting sharply, he questioned Goenka’s understanding of the league’s origins and went on to label him a “clown” in a strongly worded response.
“Seriously this guy really has a memory loss of who conceived the model. Thats ok. He just lives in his own world. We all know that @DrSanjivGoenka is a clown (emoji) wish it was his brother @hvgoenka who owned the ipl franchise. He is a true cricket fan. Not this clown – who thinks his tweet will change history. Just proves he has zero knowledge. Just swelled up head,” Lalit wrote on X.
Goenka is yet to publicly respond to the tirade.
Meanwhile, the 2026 IPL season is set to begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. As of now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced only the first phase of the schedule, with the remainder expected after election-related formalities are completed.
