The rise and fall and rise of Lalit Modi, the brain behind IPL

New Delhi: In a day of rapid of the field developments, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday suspended Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) indefinitely, soon after the Supreme Court declared former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi as the winner of RCA polls, held in December last year. RCA's suspension under clause No. 32, sub-clause 7 of BCCI's constitution means the state body cannot take part in any BCCI-related activity, even as the Board has announced that it will form an ad-hoc committee to oversee Rajasthan cricket. Controversies apart, Lalit Modi deserves the credit for pumping in huge sums of money in BCCI coffers. He conceptualized the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), and despite varying shades of gray surrounding its legitimacy, the league has thrown up some serious talent in Team India ranks. We take a look at Lalit Modi's cricket connection.In 1999, Lalit Modi joined Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. At that point of time, the HPCA didn't have a cricket ground of international standards. Modi not only promised to erase the glaring deficiency, he delivered it too. In 2005, he joined Rajasthan Cricket Association from Nagaur district.Soon, he became the RCA president with the help of controversial Rajasthan Sports Act. Once a part of BCCI, thanks to his RCA presidency, he helped Sharad Pawar trounce Jagmohan Dalmiya. He was awarded with a promotion- he became BCCI's Vice President. His advent translated in a massive jump in BCC's revenue. From 2005-08 when he was the BCCI Vice President, board's revenue crossed the 1 billion dollar mark.In 2008, Lalit Modi's brainchild Indian Premier League took shape. Now in its seventh season, the IPL is certainly the richest and glitziest cricket league in the world. Apart from bringing in huge revenue from TV rights and ticket sales, it has thrown up stars like R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who are serving Indian cricket with remarkable efficiency.