The Indian Premier League (IPL) is undoubtedly the most entertaining league in this world. This tournament has gone with several memorable moments but at the same time has seen some dark days as well. It has been the subject of several controversies since its inception in 2008. This year in 2023, the 16th edition of IPL will be played and before it, we are here with the top 5 biggest controversies in the history of the Indian Premier League:
2013 Spot-Fixing Scandal: This was the biggest controversy to hit the IPL. Three players from the Rajasthan Royals, including former India pacer S. Sreesanth, were arrested by Delhi Police for spot-fixing during the 2013 season. The players were alleged to have taken money from bookies to concede a specific number of runs in a particular over. The scandal led to the suspension of the three players, and the franchise was banned for two years from the IPL.
CSK and RR Suspension: The Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the IPL for two seasons in 2015 due to the involvement of their owners in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal. The owners of the franchises, Gurunath Meiyappan of CSK and Raj Kundra of RR, were found guilty of betting and were subsequently banned from all cricket-related activities for life.
Harbhajan-Sreesanth Slapgate: During the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, a heated argument broke out between Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians and S. Sreesanth of the Kings XI Punjab. Harbhajan allegedly slapped Sreesanth, and the incident was caught on camera. The BCCI banned Harbhajan for the remainder of the IPL season, and he was also banned for 11 ODIs.
Lalit Modi Controversy: Lalit Modi, the founder of the IPL, was embroiled in a controversy in 2010. He was accused of financial irregularities and mismanagement of funds during the first three seasons of the IPL. The controversy led to his ouster from the league in 2010. Modi went into self-exile in London, and he remains a controversial figure in Indian cricket.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala Termination: Kochi Tuskers Kerala was a franchise that was added to the IPL in 2011. However, the franchise was terminated by the BCCI in 2012 due to alleged breaches of the franchise agreement. The owners of the franchise challenged the termination in court, but the case was dismissed.
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