• My guest this week is, well, not quite Jerry Maguire, but a man who will create many Jerry Maguires -- Lalit Modi, IPL Chairman & Commissioner and vice-president of BCCI. Much in demand, more in demand than all the stars you are auctioning and the stars who are buying.

It all happens in the game of cricket.

• Did you imagine this becoming so big and ending this way?

I dreamt about it. Let's put it this way. This was a dream that went back 13 years. But actually seeing it unfold before your own eyes and actually seeing it happen was something beyond my wildest dreams.

• And lots of people have been waiting for you to go very wrong.

I agree, and they will continue to do that. It's part of life, and that's something one must take in one's stride.

• So you now quite look forward to getting immortalised as the father of IPL, a young father.

A young father, but I wouldn't want to be called that. What I would like to see is IPL actually become one of the greatest sporting properties around the world.

• Or the uncle of IPL. The father has to be (BCCI chief) Mr (Sharad) Pawar.

That's right, he is the father. He's the one who actually green-lighted it. He gave me a free hand to go out and do this. He had the wisdom and also the courage, I would say, to actually say that we will do it and this is something that can be done.

... contd.