IPL 2023: Siraj approached by gambler to provide inside information

As T20 fever sweeps the country, with Indian Premier League season 16 in full swing, various instances of betting have emerged from throughout the country. Recently, a gambler from Hyderabad allegedly called cricketer Mohammed Siraj in order to recoup his gambling losses.

According to accounts, the person working as a driver needed some exclusive knowledge on RCB from Siraj. The pacer reported the incident to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

According to the Hindustan Times, the information was promptly submitted to the cyber police. Thus, the cyber police worked closely with the BCCI and ACU to apprehend the individual.

The accused called Siraj and begged for his assistance in making money through betting. According to a BCCI source, the individual was not a bookie and instead worked as a driver in Hyderabad.

"It wasn't a bookie who approached Siraj. It is a driver from Hyderabad who is addicted to betting on matches. He had lost huge money and approached Siraj for inside information. Siraj reported the approach immediately. The law enforcement authorities have nabbed the man. More details are being awaited,"

a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying.

Since the 2013 IPL spot-fixing controversy, in which S Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan, and Ajit Chandila were arrested alongside former CSK team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, the BCCI has strengthened its ACU work.

Each team now gets a dedicated ACU official who stays at the same hotel and monitors all moves on the ground. A obligatory ACU session is also held for players, during which they are instructed about do's and don'ts, and any player who fails to report any approach is sanctioned.

Notably, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was barred from playing any form of cricket in 2019 for a year by the International Cricket Council's ACU after failing to report an approach from a bookie during his IPL tenure in 2018 as well as the tri-series in Zimbabwe same year.

For more Sports updates please follow us on Twitter