Controversies in the Indian Premier League so far #IPL

No major tournament ever functions smoothly, there are always forces that work against the organisers. There are also controversies that threaten the popularity of the event among the spectators and the participants. The Indian Premier League is no stranger to controversy either, as we look at scandals?that have involved the cash-rich tournament.

Nation Comes First

The inaugural season of the IPL got off to a rocky start because it coincided with a number of other events and tours. The County Championship and New Zealand’s tour of England were scheduled to kick off around the same timeframe. Prior to the IPL tournament, cricket boards from around the world were requested to sign NOCs (No Objection Certificates). But the England Cricket Board and the various English county clubs refused to sign the NOCs, citing that their players had to fulfil their contracts with their respective clubs and the national team. At the end of the saga, Dimitri Mascarenhas was the sole England player in the maiden IPL season.

To Tax Or Not To Tax

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Shiv Sena leader Subash Desai. In the PIL, he challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to waive entertainment tax for the IPL. The exemption cost the government at least 12 crores, and according to Desai, the decision was influenced by Sharad Pawar and the Nationalist Congress Party. Pawar was made a respondent so that he could address the allegations against him.

Sorry kids, Playtime’s Over

In 2012, the Kolkata Knight Riders had just beaten the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede stadium. Following the match, KKR team owner Shah Rukh Khan’s children and their friends invaded the pitch to play. Security personnel attempted to remove the children from the grounds, but the Bollywood star himself got involved and engaged in a brawl with the security guards. Following the incident, the Mumbai Cricket Association conducted an investigation and subsequently banned Khan from the Wankhede stadium for 5 years.

The Fall of Lalit Modi

Before the commencement of IPL season 3, the BCCI dismissed IPL chairman Lalit Modi for financial irregularities. In addition to that, Modi took to Twitter to reveal the shareholding pattern of the now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Another consequence of this action was Shashi Tharoor’s exit from the Union Cabinet and later on, Modi’s own exit. Modi currently resides in the United Kingdom citing security concerns in India.

Spot-fixing

This was possibly the biggest scandal yet, bookies in Delhi and Ahmedabad were arrested and it lead to ring leader Vindoo Dara Singh. The case took a dramatic turn when Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, team owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals respectively, were pulled up in the investigation. Another twist to the tale surfaced when the Delhi police arrested Royals players S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila for their connections to bookies. BCCI chairman N Srinivasan was also forced to step down. The two franchises involved were also handed a two-year ban from the IPL, but according to the latest developments, may be welcomed back for the 2018 season.

With these glaring controversies, it is a miracle that the IPL continues to function to the best of it’s ability. As a cricket fan, one can only hope that there are no more scandals to derail the cash-rich tournament.