Modi promises fireworks in IPL-3

The continuing by TV news channels boycott notwithstanding, Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi expects a successful third edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 event starting March 12.

“The preparations are in full swing and there are no hiccups. We all are ready to go. We have planned a very good opening night as well as opening ceremony with a spectacular laser and fireworks show,” Modi said at a media conference.

But Modi was not too worried about IPL’s stand-off with NBA and said he expected the TRP ratings of the IPL action to get boosted. “People can see IPL action on Sony and YouTube (with whom the League has struck a deal to show complete ‘live’ action with a five-minute delay for India),” he said.

Two new franchises are set to be added next season but despite the increased number of matches, the Indian Premier League will not run beyond seven weeks as extending it would “hurt other forms of cricket,” Modi said.

“We are going to have the current limitation (in the IPL’s duration), and we are happy to live with that. Then (if we make it a longer tournament) you are going to start to hurting the other forms of the game,” Modi said.

“We chose the window specifically to be off-season in India, April-May are typically off season in India... I don’t think we are going to be able to change that,” he added.

The IPL will have 94 matches in the 2011 season but Modi said the tournament will only be 51 days long.

“It’s (next season) only over seven weeks instead of six, it’s over 51 days instead of 46, we have done the scheduling, we just have to announce it.”

Modi reiterated that Test cricket remains a priority for the BCCI. “Test cricket is our bread and butter which people don’t understand, we are never going to compromise on Test cricket,” he said.

Modi also defended the financial clauses put in place for buying new IPL franchises despite the fact that the stringent rules kept some interested parties away from the auction. The auction ultimately had to be put off till March 21 and new tenders were invited for the process as no one could match the $1 billion net worth clause. “We wouldn’t want that (clubs getting into a debt trap). When we did the 50m numbers, we projected certain revenue going forward, 80 per cent of the revenue (we earn) goes back to the franchises,” he said.

“When we did our numbers, it was on a business plan. The idea is that everybody should survive and make money on it, then only can somebody grow, because of the confidence, whatever we have done, we have no regrets,” he added.