Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan and team principal of Chennai Super Kings, was arrested for betting on IPL matches.
The 2013 IPL season was the sixth edition of a tournament that had become one of sport's most lucrative properties. The BCCI governed the league while simultaneously having board officials with financial stakes in the franchises. This structural conflict of interest had been noted by critics for years, but nothing had been done to resolve it.
N. Srinivasan, the BCCI president and the managing director of India Cements, had a stake in Chennai Super Kings through India Cements' ownership of the franchise. His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan served as the team's CEO and represented the franchise at official functions. The precise nature of Meiyappan's role — whether he was a "team official" — would become central to the investigation.
The IPL's anti-corruption measures in 2013 were considered inadequate by independent observers. Player contacts with bookmakers, unusual betting patterns, and suspicious behaviour had been reported in previous seasons, but enforcement was limited. The 2013 scandal broke open when police arrested players and bookmakers and the investigation quickly extended upward to franchise management.
In May 2013, Mumbai Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players — Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, and Ajit Chandila — for alleged spot-fixing. The arrests opened a wider investigation that led investigators to examine relationships between franchise owners, management personnel, and bookmakers.
Meiyappan's name emerged through mobile phone records seized by police. He was found to be in regular contact with bookmakers and was alleged to have placed bets on IPL matches, including matches involving CSK. Mumbai Police arrested him on 24 May 2013. The arrest was explosive: the son-in-law of the sitting BCCI president had been detained on corruption charges related to the very tournament the BCCI governed.
Srinivasan refused to step down as BCCI president despite enormous pressure, insisting that Meiyappan's alleged actions were personal and not connected to the BCCI or CSK. The Supreme Court of India subsequently took a direct interest in the case, appointing the Mudgal Committee to conduct an independent investigation.
Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of BCCI president N. Srinivasan and the effective team principal of Chennai Super Kings, was arrested by Mumbai Police on 24 May 2013 for his involvement in betting on IPL matches. His arrest came in the wake of the broader spot-fixing scandal that had rocked IPL 2013.
The investigation revealed that Meiyappan had been placing bets on IPL matches and had been in contact with bookmakers. Mumbai Police charged him with cheating and conspiracy. The BCCI initially tried to distance itself from the scandal, and Srinivasan refused to step down from his position despite the clear conflict of interest.
The Supreme Court of India appointed a three-member committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal to investigate the scandal. The Mudgal Committee found Meiyappan guilty of betting and passing on team information to bookmakers. A subsequent committee headed by Justice R.M. Lodha imposed sweeping reforms on the BCCI, including a two-year ban on Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL.
Meiyappan was banned from any involvement in cricket activities. The scandal exposed the deep conflict of interest at the heart of Indian cricket, where the BCCI president's family had financial interests in an IPL franchise while the BCCI was supposed to be regulating the league. It led to landmark Supreme Court interventions that reshaped the governance of Indian cricket.
May 2013: Mumbai Police arrests IPL spot-fixing accused; investigation extends to franchise management
24 May 2013: Gurunath Meiyappan arrested by Mumbai Police on charges of betting and cheating
May–June 2013: BCCI president N. Srinivasan refuses to step down despite his son-in-law's arrest
Supreme Court of India intervenes and appoints the Mudgal Committee to investigate independently
Mudgal Committee finds Meiyappan guilty of betting and passing team information to bookmakers
Lodha Committee subsequently bans CSK and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL for two years (2016–17)
May 2013
Mumbai Police arrests Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals players for spot-fixing; wider investigation begins
24 May 2013
Gurunath Meiyappan arrested by Mumbai Police on betting and cheating charges
June–July 2013
BCCI president N. Srinivasan refuses to step down; Supreme Court intervenes and orders independent investigation
Late 2013–2014
Mudgal Committee conducts investigation; finds Meiyappan guilty of betting and passing team information
2015
Lodha Committee appointed; recommends two-year ban on CSK and Rajasthan Royals and sweeping BCCI reforms
2016–2017
CSK and Rajasthan Royals suspended from IPL; replaced by Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions
“The conflict of interest at the heart of Indian cricket cannot be allowed to continue. The BCCI must be reformed.”
“Meiyappan acted in his personal capacity. This is not a matter involving the BCCI or CSK.”
“The findings are clear. There was betting, there was information-sharing, and there was a fundamental breach of trust.”
“This is a sad day for Indian cricket. The integrity of the IPL has been compromised at the highest level.”
The Mudgal Committee's findings were damning. They confirmed that Meiyappan had bet on IPL matches and shared inside information with bookmakers. The report also noted the profound conflict of interest at the BCCI's highest level and called for structural reform.
Srinivasan was eventually forced to step aside as BCCI president while the investigation was ongoing, though he resisted every step of the way. The Supreme Court's direct intervention in cricket governance was unprecedented and reflected the Court's view that the BCCI, despite being a private body, had monopoly control over cricket and had to be held to public accountability standards.
The Lodha Committee's two-year ban on CSK was the most dramatic franchise-level sanction in IPL history. CSK had been one of the league's most successful and popular teams, making the punishment highly visible. The team was replaced temporarily by the Rising Pune Supergiant and returned to the IPL in 2018, winning the title that year in a symbolic rehabilitation.
CSK suspended for two years from IPL (2016-17). Meiyappan banned from cricket. Lodha Committee imposed sweeping BCCI reforms.
The Meiyappan case was the catalyst for the most significant governance reforms in the BCCI's history. The Lodha Committee's recommendations — which the Supreme Court eventually ordered the BCCI to implement — included age limits for officials, restrictions on conflicts of interest, and independent oversight mechanisms.
The case permanently changed how IPL ownership structures were scrutinised. Subsequent regulations required clearer separation between BCCI officials and franchise ownership. The conflict of interest rules that emerged directly from this scandal reshaped Indian cricket administration, even as implementation remained contested.
South Africa vs Various
7 April 2000
South African captain Hansie Cronje was found guilty of match fixing after Delhi Police intercepted phone calls between Cronje and an Indian bookmaker, Sanjay Chawla.
South Africa vs England
18 January 2000
Hansie Cronje engineered a contrived result at Centurion after rain had washed out most of the Test, later revealed to have been done at the behest of a bookmaker in exchange for a leather jacket and cash.
India vs Various
5 December 2000
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin was banned for life by the BCCI after the CBI found evidence of his involvement in match fixing, based on revelations from the Hansie Cronje investigation.