Kevin Pietersen's Blunt Reaction To Lalit Modi's 'The Hundred Will Die In Three Years' Remark

In a recent interview, Indian Premier League founder and former chairman of the tournament, Lalit Modi, made a bold claim regarding England's The Hundred. The tournament has a unique format, as it features a 100-ball-per-side game. The event, which was started in 2021, is played across both men's and women's categories. Lalit Modi is confident that The Hundred would cease to exist within three years, citing flaws in its current commercial structure. The 62-year-old argued that the tournament relies heavily on an advertisement-driven revenue model, which he believes is ill-suited to the UK market. Lalit Modi opined that the tournament needs to have a subscription-based revenue model.

"The Hundred will die in three years - I guarantee it. It won't survive beyond three or four years. The only reason money is being pumped into it right now is because it has no long-term future. It has just one advantage: the August window, which is a prime period. Beyond that, there is no clear vision. There is virtually no promotion or marketing behind the tournament. The broadcaster has no incentive to promote it, there is no money flowing back into the game, and ultimately, team owners will look for returns on their investment. That return can only come through media rights - nothing else," Lalit Modi said on The Overlap Cricket.

He added: "The UK is not an advertisement-driven market. It is the strongest subscription-based market in the world. For any league to succeed, you need a sustainable subscriber base."

Reacting to the statement, Kevin Pietersen took to X and wrote, "The Hundred won't die in 3yrs, it'll be a T20 comp within 3yrs (sic)."

The Hundred had its first-ever auction earlier this year, with several uncapped English players sparking bidding wars among franchises.

James Coles emerged as the most expensive signing after being picked up by London Spirit for GBP 390,000 (approximately Rs 4.81 crore). Jordon Cox, the MVP of the previous season, was snapped up by Welsh Fire for GBP 300,000 (approximately Rs 3.69 crore).

The upcoming season of The Hundred will feature four IPL-backed teams: Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds.

Featured Video Of The Day

Click here to read article