Powerful forces ranged against Modi

The BCCI top brass including its President Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan and Congress MP and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, who also heads the board’s media and finance committee, are said to be against Modi continuing as the IPL chief.

Others who are against Modi include IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah, BCCI vice-president Chirayu Amin and BCCI joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

However, Modi has reportedly got the support of not only former BCCI chief I S Bindra, but also Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association boss Farooq Abdullah and BCCI Honorary Treasurer MP Pandove.

Fence-sitters include BCCI vice-president and DDCA President Arun Jaitley, and former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

Modi had met ICC President-elect and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar at the ICC meeting in Dubai on Monday, where both discussed the raging IPL controversy.

Support from Mallya
Modi, who is said to be in a minority in both the IPL governing council and the BCCI executive committee, got a shot in the arm as Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya and Rajasthan Royals’ part-owner Shilpa Shetty came to his support.

Mallya, observing that the IPL owed its success to Modi, remarked: “Unfortunately, this entire issue has snowballed into an unnecessary storm. As far as I am concerned, I am full of appreciation for what Modi has delivered through the IPL. If he has issues with the Government, that's his private matter and he needs to deal with it”.