Lalit Modi alleged that IPL team owners are using black magic against opposing sides. The former IPL commissioner says he has concrete proof from the 2011 season. He intends to reveal everything through a planned film or TV series.
Lalit Modi’s statement was in response to a “formal” statement that was being circulated on social media. Chennai Super Kings have reportedly written to BCCI complaining that SRH fans used voodoo rituals and black magic to affect CSK’s performance during their IPL 2026 match in Hyderabad on April 18.
Reacting to the viral letter, Modi recalled a team owner who allegedly did the exact same thing. The owner allegedly used occult practices in the opposing locker room.
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He claimed to have alerted affected franchise owners at the time with what he described as “concrete evidence”. Modi said he would release all the details, including the identities of those involved.
“I remember sending some team owner doing this to the opposing team. By doing exactly that themselves in the opposing locker room. I even brought this to the attention of the opposing team’s owners back in the 2011 season – when it happened and I got a notice with concrete proof. I will expose all of these types of activities that were done by whoever in the movie/TV series as my team decided to reveal *sic),” he wrote.
Viral letter
It all started with a letter from CSK which bore an official looking tag and was signed on behalf of CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan. Chennai apparently claim that certain sections of the crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium were seen making unusual hand gestures, drawing strange symbols and using black cloth during the match against SRH.
It alleged that these practices were deliberately targeted at CSK players. It contributed to a sudden drop in performance and an unusual pattern of layoffs, the paper said. The letter asked the BCCI to review the CCTV footage and take action against those responsible.
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Fact-checking authorities have since clarified that the letter is fake. It was probably created for satirical purposes.
The lemon incident
The joke gained traction thanks to something the cameras actually caught during the match. In the 17th over, CSK’s chase saw Shivam Dube at the crease.
An SRH fan was seen in the stands holding a lemon, twirling it, muttering and gesturing towards the pitch. On the very next delivery, Dube was bowled by SRH pacer Sakib Hussain.
The coincidence immediately started a flood of memes. Fans declared Lemon Man the real mastermind behind SRH’s victory.
Reaction on social networks
“You are a proven fraudster who is hiding abroad and now you are reacting to a fake letter which further validates your actions. If you have guts, come to India and reveal all the details that are not in the podcast in London,” a social media user responded to Lalit Modi’s post.
“The post was a joke, he made it to mock CSK because they complained about RCB’s DJ saying ‘Idli sambar chutney’ after CSK lost to RCB,” clarified another user.
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Another user wrote: “If teams can win because of such superstitions, every team will follow it. Even Pakistan blames such actions as the reason for India’s victory. I wonder how the owner of CSK complained about this. Stupid.”
“Owners crossing the line in the locker room is the kind of hypocritical behind-closed-doors drama that deserves feature-length screen exposure,” read another.
