Feature
Takes look at major IPL controversies that have rocked league from 2012-2015
New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the perfect mix of cricket and entertainment. While fans get to witness their favourite stars in action, the league also provides the ultimate platform for youngsters to impress the national selectors. These apart, there has been one more constant with the cash-rich league — its controversies.
Be it the “Slap Gate” in the opening season or “Spot-fixing fiasco” in 2013, there has not been a year which has not been marred by controversies, since its inception.
In this part, India’s leading international standard news agency takes a look at the major episodes that have rocked the league from 2012 to 2015:
Year 2012: SRK gets banned from Wankhede
Involved in an altercation with the security guards at the Wankhede Stadium after a game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was banned by the Mumbai Cricket Association for five years and denied entry into the stadium.
While officials said that SRK had abused some of the guards and officials, the superstar had refuted saying he had only tried to protect his family who had gone to watch the game.
Year 2012: Luke Pomersbach arrested over molestation charge
The Australian player was arrested after a US woman filed a case of molestation against the Royal Challengers Bangalore player. He was suspended pending enquiry by the franchise. But the woman who had also blamed him of beating up her fiance, withdrew the case and the player was let off.
Here is complete list of IPL controversies that creates sensation from 2012 till 2015:
Year 2013: Spot-fixing fiasco rocks league
This year will always be remembered for the arrest of S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan by the Delhi Police for their involvement in fixing matches. CSK team principle Gurunath Meiyappan was also suspected of being involved in betting and former BCCI president had to step aside for his son-in-law’s (Meiyappan) role in the whole fiasco.
The face of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) changed forever with this as the Mudgal panel did the initial investigation and handed over its report to the Supreme Court.
The apex court then appointed the Lodha panel to look into the situation and propose necessary changes. Six years on, the BCCI is still looking to emerge from what has been the darkest phase in its history.
Year 2014: Preity Zinta-Ness Wadia fight
The news of their official split had come in 2013 when the actress said that they were just friends and partners in the Kings XI Punjab team. But things went from cordial to ugly in 2014 when during a game at the Wankhede Stadium Wadia allegedly threatened her with dire consequences and also abused her in front of others.
Preity filed a complaint as soon as the IPL got over that season. Wadia though had claimed that the allegation were baseless.
Year 2015: Kohli breaks BCCI guideline
It was a game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when a rain break saw Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh engaging in a conversation with Kohli’s future wife actress Anushka Sharma as the latter had come to watch the game. As per the anti-corruption rules of the Indian cricket board, players aren’t allowed to speak to outsiders during a game. He was let off with a verbal warning.
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the perfect mix of cricket and entertainment. While fans get to witness their favourite stars in action, the league also provides the ultimate platform for youngsters to impress the national selectors. These apart, there has been one more constant with the cash-rich league -- its controversies.
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Be it the "Slap Gate" in the opening season or "Spot-fixing fiasco" in 2013, there has not been a year which has not been marred by controversies, since its inception. In this part, India's leading international standard news agency takes a look at the major episodes that have rocked the league from 2012 to 2015:
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Year 2012: SRK gets banned from Wankhede: Involved in an altercation with the security guards at the Wankhede Stadium after a game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was banned by the Mumbai Cricket Association for five years and denied entry into the stadium. While officials said that SRK had abused some of the guards and officials, the superstar had refuted saying he had only tried to protect his family who had gone to watch the game.
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Year 2012: Luke Pomersbach arrested over molestation charge: The Australian player was arrested after a US woman filed a case of molestation against the Royal Challengers Bangalore player. He was suspended pending enquiry by the franchise. But the woman who had also blamed him of beating up her fiance, withdrew the case and the player was let off.
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Year 2014: Preity Zinta-Ness Wadia fight. The news of their official split had come in 2013 when the actress said that they were just friends and partners in the Kings XI Punjab team. But things went from cordial to ugly in 2014 when during a game at the Wankhede Stadium Wadia allegedly threatened her with dire consequences and also abused her in front of others. Preity filed a complaint as soon as the IPL got over that season. Wadia though had claimed that the allegation were baseless.
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Year 2015: Kohli breaks BCCI guideline. It was a game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when a rain break saw Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh engaging in a conversation with Kohli's future wife actress Anushka Sharma as the latter had come to watch the game. As per the anti-corruption rules of the Indian cricket board, players aren't allowed to speak to outsiders during a game. He was let off with a verbal warning.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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