BCCI Ombudsman imposes lifetime ban on Mumbai’s cricket league team owner over match-fixing charges. BCCI has banned Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, the ex-Mumbai T20 League owner, for the match fixing scandal, and has also issued an advisory for all IPL Teams to stay away from bookmakers or Bookies.
Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah made a corrupt approach to Kulkarni and Thakkar during the 2019 season. Bumrah was also involved in the Global T20 Canada scandal and is expected to be revived this year after a covid suspension.
Bhamrah gets a lifetime ban for Match fixing
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), through its Ombudsman—retired judge Arun Mishra—imposed the ban following a thorough investigation. The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) uncovered evidence indicating that Bhamrah attempted to influence players into underperforming deliberately, a grave violation of cricket’s integrity.
The order copy doesn’t specify the length of the ban, but it might be anything between five years and a life ban as per the codes of the BCCI’s anti-corruption code. The order copy states that a person named Sonu Vasan approached Thakkar to fix matches at Bhamrah’s behest.
“Transcript of the conversation shows that Sonu Vasan offered money and other benefits to Bhavin Thakkar at the behest of the respondent. Upon meriting the entire offer that he made on behalf of the respondent, Sonu Vasan told Bhavin Thakkar whatever call Thakkar wishes to take in the matter, Vasan would relay it back to the respondent.”
Regarding the approach made to Kulkarni, a former India cricketer who retired from the game after winning the Ranji Trophy with Mumbai in March 2024, the order merely states that his “statement was recorded by the ACU”, and doesn’t mention specifics.
