Lalit Modi, the architect of the Indian Premier League, shared his views on cricket’s potential in the United States. Although the International Cricket Council made efforts to popularise the sport by staging a few matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the country, the attendance was generally disappointing, with the exception of the high-profile India fixtures. In 2023, the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) took a major step forward with the introduction of Major League Cricket (MLC). However, the league has struggled to draw the large audiences.

Lalit mentioned that he contacted Chris Gayle during the previous MLC season to ask about the level of interest in the tournament in the US. The West Indies cricket icon described the situation as ‘dead’.

“You take a look at Major League Cricket, it just wrapped up. I called my friend Chris Gayle and said, ‘Chris, I saw you in Texas. What’s the atmosphere like?’ He replied, ‘My brother, it’s dead.’ There was no one in the stadium, absolutely no one. People believe that cricket being included in the Olympics will boost its popularity in America, but that’s not going to happen, not in this decade, the next, or even the next 50 years,” Modi stated in the Beyond23 Cricket podcast with former Australian captain Michael Clarke.

According to the former IPL chairman, American fans are unlikely to spend money on attending cricket matches unless top players like Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni are part of the game.

“As a businessman, if I’m sitting anywhere in the world—whether it’s in San Francisco or Los Angeles—I’m not going to spend my money to watch someone like Virat Singh playing against Dushyant Singh or Lalit Singh, names I’ve never heard of. What I want is to watch and pay to see stars like Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Michael Clarke, or Brett Lee. These big names are the ones who’ve put in the effort,” he added.