The long-running controversy around the early years of the Indian Premier League has resurfaced after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi made fresh allegations involving a direct phone call from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor during the heated dispute over the Kochi franchise in 2010.

In an interview with ANI, Modi claimed that the controversy escalated after he raised concerns about the ownership structure of the Kochi consortium, which had entered the IPL with a reported valuation of around $350 million. At the centre of the dispute was the equity arrangement involving Sunanda Pushkar, which later became politically sensitive.

Modi alleges that during this period of scrutiny, he received a direct call from Tharoor, who urged him not to pursue questions related to Pushkar’s involvement in the consortium. According to Modi, the conversation quickly turned confrontational, with an implied warning that he could face enforcement action if he continued the inquiry.

He claimed Tharoor told him not to raise questions about Sunanda Pushkar and warned him of possible consequences, including being “raided” the following morning. Modi said he immediately rejected the warning and ended the call.

“I said, ‘Screw you. Who the hell do you think you are? You may be the Foreign Minister of India, but don’t you dare ever tell me this.’ I slammed the phone and said I would not sign,” Modi stated, recounting the exchange.

Pressure over Kochi franchise structure

Modi further alleged that the core issue began with what he described as a questionable financial structure within the Kochi consortium. He said he repeatedly questioned how equity and revenue rights were distributed among stakeholders, and sought clarity on unidentified participants in the deal.

He claimed that he was unfamiliar with Sunanda Pushkar at the time her name appeared in the ownership structure and had asked consortium members for details about her role.

“I had no idea who Sunanda Pushkar was. I asked the consortium members, ‘Who is she?’” he recalled, adding that the responses he received did not fully clarify her involvement.

Signing under pressure

According to Modi, the dispute escalated into a late-stage standoff during meetings in Bengaluru, where he refused to approve the franchise agreement without full transparency on the consortium’s structure.

He alleged that despite his objections, pressure mounted for him to proceed with the formal signing of the agreement. Modi has maintained that he ultimately signed the document but recorded his objection, stating that he was doing so under duress.

“I told them I was signing under pressure,” he said, adding that he made it clear he was not fully satisfied with the circumstances surrounding the approval process.

Modi also said he had never spoken to Sunanda Pushkar in person.

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Aftermath of the Kochi franchise

The Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise entered the IPL in 2011 but played only one season before being terminated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (Board of Control for Cricket in India) due to contractual and financial disputes.

The controversy also triggered political fallout at the time, including Shashi Tharoor’s resignation as Minister of State for External Affairs in 2010 amid scrutiny linked to the franchise ownership issue.

With ANI inputs