“How Many Balls in an Over?” IPL Founder Lalit Modi Questions The Hundred’s Optics, Leaves Michael Vaughan Speechless

When Michael Vaughan mentioned the £395 million revenue from The Hundred, Lalit Modi countered by pointing to the losses it has incurred.

“How Many Balls in an Over?” IPL Founder Lalit Modi Questions The Hundred’s Optics, Leaves Michael Vaughan Speechless

Lalit Modi has predicted The Hundred to die in the next few years. (via India Today)

In Short
  • Lalit Modi questions the sustainability of England's The Hundred, criticizing its unconventional format.
  • The league is valued at approximately £975 million and has seen a significant increase in salary caps.
  • Modi predicts The Hundred will fail within three years due to its flawed commercial model and operational rules.

The founder and first chairman of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi did not hesitate in questioning the long-term sustainability of England’s The Hundred. He pointed out the format’s unconventional nature by joking that ‘cricket cannot be played with five balls in an over’.

What initially began as an experiment, the Hundred was most recently ranked the no.1 franchise league by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), ahead of the more-established Big Bash League or the Indian Premier League. A 100-ball tournament, which is a shift away from the conventional 20-over format, completed a historic privatization process, attracting investment from IPL team owners like Reliance Industries and RPSG Group. 

Coming to the league’s financials, it is valued at around £975 million ($1.2 billion). The introduction of Player Auction in the Hundred has also resulted in a sharp rise in salary caps, with a 45 percent increase for men, raising the team cap to £2.05 million. Despite the surge, former IPL chairman and a declared fugitive, Lalit Modi, on Michael Vaughan’s Overlap Cricket podcast, was dismissive of the 100-ball league.

Modi, who is often regarded by many as the founder of the most successful cricketing league in the world, described the Hundred as ‘unprofitable’ while also disregarding its operational rules. He went on to argue that the structural and commercial limitations could hinder the league’s sustainability, and pointed to its over-reliance on advertising-led revenue. The 62-year-old went on to claim that the Hundred would ‘die’ in the next three years, specifically by 2029. Modi on The Overlap Cricket podcast:

The Hundred will die in three years – I guarantee it. It won’t survive beyond three or four years. The only reason money is being pumped into it right now is because it has no long-term future… There is no clear vision.

Apart from its flawed commercial model and run-time, Lalit Modi also talked about the grave mistake that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had committed by creating a new 100-ball format rather than simply sticking to T20s. Modi wittily illustrated the issue of a bowler bowling five balls in an over, arguing that it creates unwarranted pressure and is a rule not taught to budding cricketers in schools worldwide.

How many balls are in an over? Five. Or it could be 10 as well. I am growing up in school, and I am taught that there are six balls in a bloody over. Five balls are gone, it’s a crucial wicket to be taken, pressure on the bowler, pressure on the batsman… It’s not about the skill set, it’s about the rules of the game.

Furthermore, the 62-year-old stressed upon following the rules of a game. Modi was also critical of the recent trend of IPL owners moving to buy stakes in the Hundred franchises, labeling them as ‘synthetic’ and adding that it might alienate local English cricket fans. 

Lalit Modi discusses Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, admitting he had initially doubted his age

Former BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, in conversation with Michael Vaughan, hailed teenage cricketing sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old Indian batter has been one of the most talked-about players in the world right now, due to his mind-blowing abilities and skills. 

Lalit Modi on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Lalit Modi hailed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as India’s next cricketing star. (via NDTV Sports)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in remarkable form in IPL 2026, and he is the Rajasthan Royals’ highest run-getter. The left-hander, opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, has scored 200 runs in five matches at an average of 40 and a blistering strike-rate of 263.16, the highest in the league. The teenager has also earned a notorious reputation for striking veteran bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. 

His talents were hailed by Lalit Modi, who, however, revealed that he initially refused to believe the left-hander was only 14 during his IPL debut last year. He touted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to turn into the face of Indian cricket in the coming years. Modi pointed to the IPL’s impact in identifying players of Sooryavanshi’s caliber, noting there are more such talented players in the country. He added:

I can tell you that kid [Vaibhav Sooryavanshi] is going to go out there and be the face of Indian cricket in the future. Look at the confidence on the kid’s face. 14 years old! My son is 14. I saw this kid hit… It’s not possible that this kid is 14 [on IPL debut].

The Bihar-born teenager, on his IPL debut versus LSG, scored a quick-fire 34 runs off 20 balls. Days later, he became the youngest centurion in the history of the tournament, scoring 101 runs off just 38 balls in a league-stage clash against GT, last summer. 

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