“Major League Cricket in US Is Dead”: IPL Architect Dismisses Future of US T20 Tournament
Lalit Modi says cricket won’t grow in USA even with Olympics inclusion, citing poor crowds and lack of star power.
Former chief and the architect of Indian Premier League (IPL) Lalit Modi believes cricket has little chance of growing in the United States, even with its inclusion in the Olympics. Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket podcast with Michael Clarke, Modi said that empty stadiums during recent tournaments show how far the sport is from gaining traction in America.
The 2024 T20 World Cup was partly hosted in the USA, but except for India matches, crowd turnout was disappointing. Major League Cricket, which began in 2023, has also seen low attendance despite big investments.
Modi recalled a chat with West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who played in Texas.
“I called my friend Chris Gayle and said, ‘Chris, I saw you in Texas. What’s the atmosphere like?’ He replied, ‘My brother, it’s dead. There was no one in the stadium, absolutely no one,’” Modi said.
He was blunt about cricket’s Olympic hopes too.
“People believe that cricket being included in the Olympics will boost its popularity in America, but that’s not going to happen, not in this decade, the next, or even the next 50 years,” he added.
Modi argued that fans in the USA will only spend money to watch big global names, not lesser-known players.
“As a businessman… I’m not going to spend my money to watch someone like Virat Singh playing against Dushyant Singh or Lalit Singh. What I want is to watch stars like Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Michael Clarke, or Brett Lee,” he said.
His comments highlight a hard truth for cricket administrators in USA. Without star power and cultural connection, the sport may struggle to win over American audiences.
