Happy with the way IPL has shaped up: Lalit Modi

16th May 2008

Lalit Modi, the Commissioner and Chairman of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) is a very happy man. And why not? The success of his brainchild is out there for the world to see.

Modi was also glad that the Twenty20 extravaganza had exceeded his expectations.

"I am very happy with the way it (the IPL) has shaped up now. It has gone beyond my expectations too. We are very pleased with the way things have progressed," he said to one of our reporters.

He asserted that the stars of India and the international players are the backbones of the tournament. A clearly pleased Modi also mentioned that the IPL so far has witnessed terrific cricket. So many games have gone down to the wire, right down to the very last ball of the match. Lightning quick hundreds, hat-tricks, fours and huge sixes - there have been milestones galore!

"We are getting to see tremendous cricket. Each game has been so interesting and so close - which is the exciting part of the structure," Modi said.

According to him, the League has beckoned new star performers. Almost every match witnesses the rise of a young talent which augurs well for the future of Indian cricket.

"When you see the games that are being played and the stars that have come out of these games, they are all new people. I am hopeful they will make sure that they will go forward and be a part of the Indian team," he stated.

Modi feels that the Twenty20 tournament would benefit players as they will get recognized for their efforts. He added that it will also be one of the opportunities for the youngsters to move ahead.

"People that nobody had heard about - like Ashok Dinda, Swapnil Asnodkar and Virat Kohli - are performing good and doing well. The IPL is one of the platforms. From this platform, they will move on to other platforms also like Tests and ODIs. Here they are going to be recognised instantly. But at the end of the day, they have to start performing in Tests and ODIs also. But once they are recognised here, nobody can ignore them there," he added.