The key players in the IPL controversy

Shashi Tharoor: India's junior foreign minister said he 'mentored' the Kochi franchise before the bidding process for new IPL teams last month. He firmly denied gaining any financial benefit from it, insisting he only wanted to see an IPL team in his home state of Kerala. However, when Modi released the shareholding structure of the Kochi franchise, Tharoor's close friend Sunanda Pushkar was revealed to have a stake. Allegations of conflict of interest followed, and the ensuing controversy forced him to step down.

Sunanda Pushkar: It all sort of started with her. A marketing professional based in Dubai, she was given a 4.7% stake - worth approximately US$1.5 million - as sweat equity for her work in the franchise. Her problem was that Tharoor did not disclose it and - as she sees it - made her a victim of a vindictive media. She has since offered to return the stake, saying she wants no part of the IPL.

Lalit Modi: The brain behind the IPL as well as its brash face. Three phenomenally successful seasons of the tournament, and his penchant for self-promotion had made him one of the most powerful men in cricket, but things started to unravel once he tweeted the Kochi franchise ownership pattern on April 11. The tussle with Tharoor put the spotlight on the IPL's financial dealings, and the league's offices were raided by tax men. There were allegations of bribery by the Kochi franchise, of kickbacks in the reworked broadcast deal, of Modi's relatives owning stakes in several franchises, all of which led to a fall-out with several of his colleagues in the BCCI, ultimately leading to his suspension.

Rendezvous Sports World: A group of seemingly disparate businessmen who came together to bid for the Kochi franchise. They got by with a little help from a friend, Tharoor, but that's when their troubles - and his - began. Some important people, it seems, didn't want them to win and allegedly went out of their way to dissuade them. They have stuck to their guns for now but it's their books the taxmen are interested in.

Shashank Manohar: The BCCI president, and the man who is the front-runner to take over as interim IPL chairman after the ouster of Modi. Unlike the high profile that Modi has maintained, Manohar is low key, almost austere and inscrutable. A lawyer by profession, he mostly operates from his hometown of Nagpur. His biggest strengths are his simplicity and discipline - and, perhaps, his reluctance to entertain the media. Manohar has repeatedly turned down Modi's pleas for the governing council meeting on Monday to be postponed, and his emails disagreeing with Modi over revealing ownership details of all franchises were widely publicised.

Pranab Mukherjee: The Indian government's perennial trouble-shooter, he is also the finance minister and in charge of the two departments - income-tax and revenue - whose officials are unearthing the money trail. How far the investigations will go - and how much dirt will come out of them - is eventually his call. Pity he's more of a football person.

Sharad Pawar: He is the ICC's president-elect, Modi's mentor and still the most influential man in Indian cricket. Pawar was dragged into the controversy when reports alleging that his son-in-law was part of a consortium that unsuccessfully bid for a new franchise last month. He is also the federal agriculture minister, and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party and has had to defend his party colleague and aviation minister, Praful Patel, after Patel's office was revealed to have forwarded a mail to Tharoor containing information on franchise valuations.

VIP friends and family - They've always been part of the IPL but some of them have stayed below the radar. They are in high places - Modi's brother-in-law owns a large part of Rajasthan Royals; his stepson-in-law owns the company that has the IPL's media rights. Vijay Mallya's two step-children work for the IPL, as does aviation minister Patel's daughter.

N Srinivasan: He is the BCCI secretary, owner of the Chennai Super Kings and member of the IPL governing council which has raised plenty of questions, and a lawsuit, over conflict of interest. He has defended himself on the grounds that he had sought the permission of Pawar before buying the Chennai franchise. Srinivasan called the Monday meeting of the governing council, soon after which Modi questioned his credentials to convene it.