2016 IPL season in tatters after spot fixing scandal

GOOD luck getting odds on the Indian Premier League for 2016.

We have scoured the web for markets and found that all our major online bookmakers have either suspended or simply not providing markets on the 2016 competition after both the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two years from the IPL after a probe by a panel appointed by India’s Supreme Court.

In what is fast becoming all too common in Indian cricket, cheats have reared their ugly heads again, with officials from both Chennai and Rajasthan found guilty of betting on matches, following life bans for players involved in spot fixing and the suspension of Mumbai first class batsman Hiken Shah, who allegedly tried to influence a player to fix an IPL game in this year’s competition.

“BCCI has zero tolerance for corruption in the game of cricket,” board president Jagmohan Dalmiya said.

“We have and we will take swift action against such incidents to set a precedent and control the menace of corruption in the game.”

The scandal stems back to 2013 when three players and several bookies were arrested over claims of match fixing, an inquiry uncovering several other travesties to the competition.

Former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were suspended for life from any cricketing activity undertaken by the BCCI, and for five years for all cricket.

“As the face of the team, he (Meiyappan) ought not to have indulged in betting practices,” retired chief justice R.M. Lodha, who headed up the panel, said while handing down its findings.

“By regularly placing bets in IPL matches… he acted in gross violation of the anti-corruption code.

“He is suspended for life from being involved in any type of cricket matches.”

Gambling in india is only legal on horse racing, although there are a few states which allow gambling in casinos.

“This is not unusual when a part-owner and team official indulged in corrupt practices,” the panel said referring to Kundra.

“The unsavoury individuals and bad elements become bold enough to involve vulnerable elements, including players, to all sorts of corruptions.”

Some 50 players will be impacted by the decision, with their IPL futures up in the air as the Board of Control for Cricket in India decides what will happen.

There are, reportedly, three options, with the most popular being new franchises will come in to fill the void of the two suspended teams and the players will simply transfer to them.

There is also the possibility the players will be re auctioned to the other teams, but this would leave other teams with larger rosters and also leave some players without a home, should they not be desired by the current franchises.

The third option would leave the players in limbo for two years, effectively serving the same ban the owners of the two franchises have had imposed on them.

Aussie Steve Smith, in the middle of an Ashes Series against England, is the captain of he Royals, who also count embattled all rounder Shane Watson, seamer Ben Cutting, all rounder James Faulkner and fast bowler Kane Richardson as players who wear the green and gold.

The Super Kings, captained by Australia’s long time antagonist MS Dhoni, feature Aussies’ Mike Hussey, Andrew The and Kyle Abbott.

Chennai Super Kings players to be affected: MS Dhoni, Ashish Nehra, Baba Aparajith, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ishwar Chandra Pandey, Matt Henry, Mithun Manhas, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Samuel Badree, Suresh Raina, Ronit More, Michael Hussey, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Ankush Bains, Irfan Pathan, Pratyush Singh 7. Andrew Tye and Eklavya Dwivedi.

Rajasthan Royals players to be affected: Shane Watson, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Nagendra Sharma, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dishant Yagnik, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Karun Nair, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Stuart Binny, Tim Southee, Vikramjeet Malik. Chris Morris, Pardeep Sahu, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sarandeep Singh, Rusty Theron and Sagar Trived