India, April 18 -- Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has revisited one of the most dramatic stories from IPL history, recalling how Chris Gayle, unsold at the 2011 auction, allegedly called him in frustration and asked for help finding a team. Speaking on The Overlap Cricket with Michael Vaughan, Modi narrated the episode as the start of Gayle's transformation from an overlooked name in the auction pool to one of the most destructive batters the league has seen.

According to Modi, the call came while he was already back in London after leaving the IPL. He said Gayle was upset at being ignored in the auction and wanted to know why no franchise had picked him. Modi's response, as he told it, was blunt. He said Gayle had not done enough in the...