IPL founder Lalit Modi was suspended by the BCCI and later fled to London amid allegations of financial irregularities, tax evasion, and rigging the bidding process for IPL teams.
Lalit Modi, the visionary founder and first commissioner of the Indian Premier League, was suspended by the BCCI on 26 April 2010, just three years after he revolutionized cricket with the IPL's creation. The suspension came after a series of controversies, including allegations that he had rigged the bidding process for the Kochi franchise and had financial irregularities in his handling of IPL revenues.
Modi fled to London before Indian authorities could pursue charges against him. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department launched investigations into allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, and financial mismanagement running into hundreds of crores of rupees. The BCCI subsequently imposed a life ban on Modi from any involvement in cricket.
From his London exile, Modi remained vocal, using social media to make counter-allegations against BCCI officials, including N. Srinivasan and several politicians. He alleged that corruption in the BCCI was far more widespread than what was being investigated. His tweet accusing Chris Cairns of match fixing led to the defamation case that Cairns won.
The Modi saga raised fundamental questions about the governance of the IPL, which had grown into a billion-dollar enterprise with minimal oversight. While Modi was credited with creating the IPL and making it a global brand, his tenure was marred by allegations that he had enriched himself and his associates through the league's operations.
Life ban from BCCI. Multiple financial investigations launched. Modi remained in London exile.
Cricket Canada
12 May 2026
ICC suspended six months of funding to Cricket Canada over governance failures and financial misreporting — 63% of their total revenue.
Multiple franchises
8 May 2026
The IPL's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) submitted a formal report to the BCCI in May 2026 flagging "certain anomalies" observed across the league stage: unauthorised persons had been seen in the team dugout, on the team bus, and at team hotels during IPL matches in apparent breach of anti-corruption Standard Operating Procedures. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed the report publicly and warned that "very stringent action" would be taken if violations continued. Separately, the BCCI tightened protocols after reports that certain franchise owners had been seen mingling with players in restricted areas — a specific interaction prohibited under the anti-corruption framework.
Various county sides
1865-08-01
Despite MCC's attempts to reduce gambling on cricket through the 1840s and 1850s, county cricket in the 1860s still operated in a culture where betting was widespread and where allegations of arranged results circulated freely among those closest to the game. Several county fixtures of the decade generated suspicion among contemporaries that the outcome had been agreed in advance, though the absence of formal investigation meant that no players were ever charged.