Overview

• Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket podcast with Michael Clarke, the former IPL chief said cricket in America "ain’t happening now, this decade, next decade, next 50 years."
• Modi argued that paying audiences in the United States will show up for superstar names such as Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni rather than unfamiliar domestic players.
• He recounted Chris Gayle describing the recent Major League Cricket atmosphere in Texas as "dead," saying there was "nobody in the stadium."
• Coverage notes that U.S.-hosted matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup drew strong crowds for India fixtures but modest attendance otherwise, aligning with Modi’s dismissal of Olympic inclusion as a quick catalyst.
• Reports also point out that BCCI rules bar active Indian internationals from playing in foreign T20 leagues, limiting the star power available to competitions like MLC.