Lalit Modi 'looking forward to coming back to India' after 16‑year legal battle
Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke (Source: @LalitKModi on Instagram)
Published - 23 Jul 2026, 11:23 AM• Read time - 2 mins
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has signalled plans to return to India “later this year or early next year” after receiving significant relief from the Appellate Tribunal in the long‑running 2009 IPL South Africa foreign‑exchange case.
The verdict, which Modi described as vindication, has brought what he calls the “truth” into the public domain.
"I'm really happy with the verdict. It's really been a great day. Sixteen years I have fought and whatever I have been saying to the media and to everybody has finally emerged as the truth," Modi said in a video shared on Instagram.
The Appellate Tribunal overturned major penalties imposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Modi and other BCCI officials involved in staging the second season of the IPL in South Africa. It ruled that the foreign remittances in question were current‑account transactions that did not require prior RBI approval, and further clarified that Modi was not responsible for ensuring BCCI’s compliance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Having lived in London since 2010, Modi emphasised that he does not intend to relocate permanently but will visit India to reconnect with friends and attend to family matters.
"I'm going to move on in my life and I'm looking forward to coming back to India. Yes, I will come back probably at the end of this year or early next year. My daughter is due with my grandson in October and hopefully everything will be well and I'll be back in India," he said.
"India has always been a part of who I am. The legal process has taken its course, and I respect that. I look forward to visiting my country again, meeting old friends, from time to time and contributing in every positive way I can."
"My home remains in London, and that is where I will continue to live, but my heart has never stopped beating for India," Modi wrote in a post on X.
"I was only concerned with the well‑being of the IPL and nothing at all. That is the most dear to me," he said.
For context, the IPL was shifted to South Africa in 2009 as its schedule clashed with India’s general elections.