By now, we know India has no dearth of spoilsports holding even sporting activity on the field to ransom. We have motley groups more than willing to stall cricket in the name of regionalism in Hyderabad. They have a more venerated predecessor in the form of Mr Bal Thackeray running his extortion manual step by step in Mumbai.

There is nothing new in this, what makes it so special now? It’s Lalit Modi, the proud commissioner of IPL and his whimsical ways that brings the issue in two glaringly contrasting styles.

Lalit Modi found the right opportunity to dent a huge hole into cricket revenue for Deccan Chargers, the host team in Hyderabad. He used his autocratic powers so strongly to forcibly shift all the home matches of DC in the IPL out of Hyderabad. Pro-Telangana agitation is the monster that came in handy for him.

In the process, he was even reluctant to glean through the written assurances from the Telangana JAC, a strong fervent appeal from AP’s Sports Minister and even an eleventh-hour intervention from Chief Minister K Rosaiah to restore the matches.

His only premise was that they cannot take chances with the safety of the players and the security for the matches. It worked in his favour but only until the ‘Tiger’ roared in Mumbai. What would he do now with Bal Thackeray once again threatening to ‘ban’ the Australian players from the IPL?

What options would Modi chose now? Is he going to convince Tiger Thackeray to eat his words and help him run IPL smoothly? Or he will go by the Maharashtra’s word to provide help to ensure a peaceful run? Or would he dare to shift the matches to another peaceful zone, like how he chose to do in the case of Hyderabad?