Lalit Modi, the former chairman of the Indian Premier League, has been a controversial figure for nearly a decade now. He rolled out a surprise for his social media followers on Thursday, making a relationship announcement with Bollywood star Sushmita Sen. He later clarified that the two were not yet married.

Modi, 56, was briefly the face of Indian cricket. He was the first-ever chairman of the Indian Premier League, which kicked off months after India’s 2007 World Cup win.

Also Read: Memes of Lalit Modi, Sushmita Sen’s relationship flood social media

What was Lalit Modi’s IPL controversy?

Modi first had the idea to launch a domestic Indian cricket league in 1995, which he called Indian Cricket League Limited. The competition was initially proposed in the 50-over game format and was struck down by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Three years before the IPL started, Modi was appointed as the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. This was done when Vasundhara Raje was Rajasthan’s Chief Minister. Modi was known to have close ties with senior officials of the BJP and Congress.

Lalit Modi got his claim to fame in 2008 after spearheading the IPL, one of the first leagues in India that blended cricket with glamour. The IPL has completed 15 seasons since then.

After the 2010 IPL final concluded, the BCCI suspended Lalit Modi from his position and alleged that he was involved in misconduct, indiscipline and financial irregularities linked to the bidding for two new teams: Rising Pune Supergiants and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Also Read: Lalit Modi’s old conversation with Sushmita Sen goes viral on social media

He was later banned from the tournament for life in 2013. The BCCI also launched a probe to dig deeper into the allegations made against Lalit Modi. The committee found him guilty of the charges, according to reports from the Indian Express.

A Mumbai court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Lalit Modi in 2015 for his alleged involvement in a money-laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, he has been living in United Kingdom’s London for nearly a decade.