IPL Spot-Fixing and Betting Scandals — 2013 & 2015

The Indian Premier League (IPL), launched in 2008, quickly became cricket's richest and most glamorous tournament. But in 2013 and 2015, the league was engulfed in a storm of spot-fixing and betting scandals. Players, owners, and franchises were caught up in investigations that shook Indian cricket and forced the IPL to clean up its image.

2013 Spot-Fixing Scandal

• In May 2013, Delhi Police arrested Rajasthan Royals bowlers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan, along with more than a dozen bookmakers, on charges of spot-fixing.
• Investigators alleged that players used coded signals, such as rotating their watches, to indicate to bookmakers when they would deliberately bowl a no-ball or wide. In return, large sums of money were allegedly exchanged.
• The accused players were said to have rigged small parts of matches, like the exact timing of a wide or no-ball, allowing bookmakers to profit from spot bets.
• The BCCI banned all 3 players for life.
• Gurunath Meiyappan, a top official of Chennai Super Kings and son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan, was also arrested for betting and passing inside information.

2015 Lodha Committee Verdict

• In 2015, the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee delivered its verdict:
  • Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were banned from the IPL for 2 seasons (2016-17).
  • Raj Kundra (RR co-owner) and Gurunath Meiyappan (CSK official) were banned for life from all cricket-related activities.
• Later in 2015, the Patiala House Courts in Delhi acquitted S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan, ruling that the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence to convict them of criminal charges.
• However, the BCCI's disciplinary action was independent of the criminal proceedings. The life bans on Sreesanth and Chavan, and the disciplinary process against Chandila, remained in force.
• This led to a prolonged legal battle, with players appealing to the Kerala High Court and ultimately the Supreme Court of India to seek relief.

Legacy and Impact

• The IPL spot-fixing scandal was a turning point for Indian cricket.
• The suspensions of 2 of the league's most high-profile franchises sent a strong message: corruption would not be tolerated, no matter the stature.
• The controversy also prompted stricter anti-corruption protocols and monitoring systems in the IPL. While CSK and RR returned in 2018, the episode left a lasting scar.
• For fans, it was a reminder that even cricket's brightest stage was not immune to the lure of betting and fixing.

Final Note

The 2013 and 2015 IPL scandals remain among the darkest chapters in modern cricket. They exposed how greed and corruption could infiltrate even the sport's most glamorous tournament. Yet, they also marked a turning point, leading to reforms, punishments, and a renewed focus on protecting cricket's integrity.