IPL founder Lalit Modi and former England captain Kevin Pietersen have entered a public exchange over the future of England’s 100-ball competition, The Hundred. The discussion began after Modi—who previously served as chairman of the IPL—made a sharp prediction that the tournament would no longer exist within the next three years, pointing to a range of practical and operational challenges behind his claim.
Pietersen responded on X, insisting Modi’s scenario would not come to pass. Instead, the former batter suggested The Hundred will be reshaped into a Twenty20-style event over the same three-year period, adding that it would effectively become the UK’s counterpart to the IPL. “It’ll just be the UK’s version of the IPL. The format will change to T20,” Pietersen wrote on social media.
Modi has now returned to the debate with a more thorough explanation of why he believes The Hundred cannot survive in its current form. He highlighted that the tournament’s identity is built around a distinctive structure: each team plays a 100-ball innings, a format that differs from conventional T20 matchups.
The Hundred, which was launched in 2021, is staged in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Earlier this year, the tournament also held its first-ever player auction, where a number of uncapped English players attracted intense interest from franchises.
James Coles topped the spending list after being bought by London Spirit for GBP 390,000 (around Rs 4.81 crore). Meanwhile, Jordon Cox—named MVP of the previous season—was snapped up by Welsh Fire for GBP 300,000 (about Rs 3.69 crore).
Looking ahead, the next season of The Hundred is set to include four teams backed by IPL franchises: Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds.
In the course of the wider comparison, Modi also reflected on the scale and impact of the Indian Premier League itself. The IPL began in 2008 and has grown into a major success story, currently featuring 10 teams. Each franchise operates with a player purse of Rs 125 crore, and Rishabh Pant remains the most expensive signing in league history—having been purchased by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025.
