Raj Kundra IPL Betting Ban

Raj Kundra, the businessman and co-owner of the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, was found guilty of betting during the IPL 2013 season. The Lodha Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court of India, investigated the allegations that emerged from the broader spot-fixing scandal.

The investigation found that Kundra had placed bets on IPL matches, including matches involving his own team. Phone records and other evidence linked him to bookmakers. Kundra initially denied the allegations but the evidence was deemed compelling by the committee.

The Lodha Committee imposed a lifetime ban on Kundra from any involvement in cricket. The Rajasthan Royals franchise was suspended from the IPL for two years (2016 and 2017), the same punishment as Chennai Super Kings. The suspensions meant both teams had to sit out two IPL seasons while new franchises Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions took their places temporarily.

The Kundra ban, along with the Meiyappan case, demonstrated that the corruption in the IPL had reached the ownership level, not just the playing staff. The dual suspensions were the most severe franchise-level punishments in IPL history and sent a strong message about the consequences of betting by team owners.