In 2003, the first official T20 match was played, and two years later, the first international match in the format took place in Auckland. But Lalit had pitched the idea of a franchise-based T20 league as early as the 1997–98 season.

Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim revealed how Lalit pioneered the T20 franchise concept and presented it to the BCCI.

Karim said, “Many people don’t know that Mr Lalit Modi came up with the T20 franchise cricket concept in 1997–98. Long before the IPL actually started, he submitted a proposal to the BCCI suggesting the creation of a league like it. There was no concept of T20s back then, it was primarily ODIs.”

The former India cricketer, who later served as a BCCI selector, revealed that Lalit had even got a few Bengal players on board. He added, “We were going to make a team for Bengal. We had even signed a contract with them. It was decided that there would be two to three players from outside in each team.”

However, the idea did not materialise.

Karim continued: “It did not materialise due to various reasons. But it remained in our minds that we should have a league like this.”

Almost three decades later, the IPL stands as the epitome of the format, not only helping establish India as a cricketing superpower but also paving the way for several other franchise-based leagues across the globe. Such has been the IPL’s influence that it now competes directly with established sporting leagues worldwide, including the NBA and the Premier League.

However, Lalit is no longer part of the IPL. In 2010, he was removed as IPL commissioner and vice-chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and was later banned from cricket administration for three years over corruption charges. The main allegations against him to rigging bids during the auction of two new franchises in 2010. He was also accused of selling broadcasting and internet rights without authorisation.