'Soon IPL teams would be as popular as Man Utd, Chelsea'

Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi foresees the eight franchisees of the Twenty20 cricket event soon becoming as popular as iconic soccer clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.

Updated on: Apr 17, 2009, 19:09:58 IST

PTI | By HT Correspondent, London

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Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi foresees the eight franchisees of the Twenty20 cricket event soon becoming as popular as iconic soccer clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.

"We hope IPL teams become worldwide teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. That's the objective and we are able to turn that into a reality now," Modi was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

Modi said organisers of the league are working towards getting IPL teams the kind of devoted fan following that Manchester United and Chelsea have enjoyed world over for decades.

"Our aim is to build fan bases across the world. In England you have EPL (the Barclays Premier League) and they all have fans all over the world," he said.

"My son likes Manchester United. He has never been to a game but watches religiously on television. We want people to get attached to teams and it's a huge opportunity to build IPL as a global brand," he added.

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