London, June 4 -- Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairperson Lalit Modi has recalled how he personally approached Indian cricketers in the dressing room during Team India's 2007 tour of England, urging them to participate in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup, saying the format was initially met with scepticism within the team.

India's tour of England took place from July 19 to September 8, 2007, comprising a three-match Test series and a seven-match ODI series, just days before the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 got underway on September 11. While senior stars such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were part of the squad for the England tour, the team selected for the T20 World Cup featured a younger core, with several...