Lalit Modi alleges underworld threats drove his IPL exit

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has claimed that threats from the underworld, including multiple assassination attempts and the kidnapping of his son, were a primary reason for his exit from cricket administration. Modi made the allegations in a recent interview, stating that fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his network targeted him after he refused to allow match-fixing during the IPL's early seasons.

Modi, the league's founder and first commissioner, said he survived three separate assassination attempts allegedly ordered by Dawood Ibrahim. He described incidents in Mumbai, where he said a shootout occurred outside his home, in South Africa during the 2009 IPL season, and in Montenegro. He claimed Indian authorities provided him with Z-category security and that foreign intelligence agencies intercepted plots against him.

According to Modi, the conflict stemmed from his efforts to curb illegal betting and match-fixing. He asserted that the first three IPL seasons under his leadership were free from fixing scandals because he actively monitored for suspicious on-field signals and banned individuals from stadiums. He said this stance angered powerful...