NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League
chairman Lalit Modi has said that English cricketer Ravi Bopara not coming to
India for IPL due to security apprehensions is a fictional
story.

Modi said on Twitter account, “Another fictional story on
Bopara by the media. I guess they have run out of stories. They should
concentrate on world cup hockey instead.

Modi added, “Just spoke to
Ravi Bopara – he is looking forward to coming to India. All the news about him
not coming and comments are completely false.”

Earlier, there were
reports that Bopara has indefinitely postponed his trip to India for IPL due to
security apprehensions, saying cricket meant everything to him but “it is not
worth dying for”.

Bopara, who was snapped at $450,000 by the Kings XI
Punjab, was supposed to leave on Sunday to join the Mohali-based outfit for the
Twenty20 tournament but the Essex cricketer backed out at the last moment,
saying he was not sure if the risk was worth taking.

“Cricket is my
living and in many way my life. But it is not worth dying for,” Bopara was
quoted as saying by the Mail on Sunday.

Bopara was worried with Reg
Dickason’s report in which the security expert raised some serious concerns.

“This is a very tricky call. I have been in touch with the franchise
and they are pretty positive that things will be OK. But Reg Dickason’s report
says something different.

“At the moment I’m nowhere with this
decision. I’ve had some contact with other players. No one has said they are
definitely not going, but no one has said they definitely are either. I have
pushed back my flight so I can give myself a bit more time to see what happens
and whether the security measures are implemented,” he said.

“The
franchise will want an answer in the next few days, but I will not come to a
hasty decision just because I have to. I need to weigh everything up and if I
could buy myself even more time I would,” added Bopara.