Lalit Modi announces his new chapter as a British citizen at the Oxford Union. (Img: X)
London: Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has officially acquired British citizenship, marking a formal change in his nationality after years of living in the United Kingdom. Modi, who has been residing in London since leaving India in 2010, has reportedly completed the process of becoming a British citizen.
Modi disclosed that he had attended a British citizenship ceremony on September 15, 2026, in the presence of family members and friends. Howe
ver, he chose November 14, while addressing the prestigious Oxford Union, to make the development public.
The announcement came on the occasion of the birthday of King Charles III. Modi expressed gratitude to the Oxford Union for providing him with the platform to share what he described as an important chapter in his life.
Modi is credited with conceptualising and launching the IPL in 2008, transforming India's domestic T20 cricket landscape into one of the world's most commercially successful sporting competitions. As the league's founding chairman and commissioner, he also oversaw the 2009 edition, which was shifted to South Africa in view of the general elections in India.
His association with the BCCI, however, ended amid allegations of financial irregularities and administrative misconduct. The cricket board suspended him in 2010 following the conclusion of the third IPL season. Subsequently, a disciplinary committee imposed a lifetime ban on him in 2013.
Modi left India in 2010 and has remained in the United Kingdom since then. Indian investigative agencies have pursued cases against him relating to alleged financial irregularities and money laundering. In 2015, a special court in Mumbai issued a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with a money-laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Indian authorities have also pursued legal avenues for securing his return to the country.
Modi has consistently contested the allegations against him and maintained that he has not been convicted in the cases. His acquisition of British citizenship comes nearly 16 years after his departure from India, adding a new dimension to the continuing legal and political scrutiny surrounding the former IPL chief.
