BCCI Bans Franchise Owner for Life Over Match-Fixing Scandal

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given a lifetime ban to Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, a former co-owner of the Mumbai T20 League franchise SoBo Supersonics. The reason for this harsh action is his attempt to fix matches by approaching two players in 2019.

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Lifetime Ban After Serious Charges

Justice Arun Mishra, the BCCI Ombudsman, passed the order after a detailed investigation. Bhamrah had allegedly approached Indian cricketers Dhawal Kulkarni and Bhavin Thakkar to fix matches during the 2019 Mumbai T20 League season.

Dhawal Kulkarni’s Role in the Case

Dhawal Kulkarni, one of the cricketers approached, is a well-known medium pacer who has played 12 ODIs and a few T20Is for India. He did not accept the corrupt offer and reported it, which helped the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) begin the investigation.

Involvement Beyond Mumbai T20 League

Bhamrah was also linked to the now-closed Global T20 (GT20) Canada League. However, after the scandal, he is no longer part of any cricket event under BCCI.

BCCI ’s Zero-Tolerance Policy

The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit charged Bhamrah under multiple sections of its code. The investigation report stated violations under Articles 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.4.1, 2.5.1, and 2.5.2, which include serious offenses like offering corrupt approaches and attempting to fix matches.

Maximum Penalty Given

While the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code allows a minimum 5-year ban, the seriousness of this case led to the strictest punishment—a lifetime ban from all cricket activities under the BCCI.

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