Indian Premier League is a powerhouse of cricketing talent and high-octane entertainment. But this highly famous cric-drama wasn’t without any challenges. Like many major sporting events, the IPL has grappled with allegations of match-fixing, casting a shadow over its integrity.
While it’s impossible to definitively label a single team as the “No. 1 fixer,” the league has undeniably witnessed controversies. Several teams and individuals have faced accusations over the years, damaging the sport’s spirit.
Which is the Number One Fixing Team in IPL
Here is the table on the information regarding the No. 1 Fixing Team in IPL and IPL Match Scandals. There are only two teams, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings who have been constantly in the news making headlines for match-fixing scenarios, and no other than these two teams have been booked for match-fixing. However, there is no particular team that can contribute as the number one fixing team in the IPL.
| Year | Teams Involved | Players/Officials Involved | Details |
| 2012 | N/A | Five domestic Indian cricketers | Arrested by Delhi Police for alleged involvement in spot-fixing and illegal betting activities. |
| 2013 | Rajasthan Royals | S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandila | Arrested for spot-fixing allegations. Accused of bowling no-balls for money from bookies. |
| 2013 | Chennai Super Kings | Gurunath Meiyappan (Team official) | Arrested on charges of betting and passing on team information to bookies. |
| 2015 | Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals | N/A | Suspended for two years due to involvement in the 2013 betting scandal. |
| 2018 | N/A | S. Sreesanth (Former player) | Ban lifted by Supreme Court due to inconclusive evidence against him. |
The fixing allegations have always been in the news and a series of controversies regarding these have surfaced mostly among the matches and beginning of the IPL Seasons.
Match-Fixing Events that are a stain on IPL History
| Year | Event | Details |
| 2013 | Spot-Fixing Scandal | 3 Rajasthan Royals players (Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan) were arrested for spot-fixing. |
| 2013 | Spot-Fixing Scandal | Fallout – 7-year ban for players (reduced by Supreme Court), lifetime ban for Chandila. |
| 2015 | CSK & RR Banned | CSK & RR were suspended for 2 years due to illegal betting by team officials. |
| 2012 | Sting Operation | Uncapped players caught soliciting spot-fixing during an undercover operation. |
| 2012 | Sting Operation | Fallout – League investigates corruption, black money payments, and betting syndicates. |
| 2019 | Arrests based on Pakistani tip | Arrests highlight the ongoing threat of match-fixing. |
Famous controversies around match-fixing that made headlines
2013:IPL Season
The season was full of controversies and accusations of match-fixing which led to the suspension of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) teams. While players from RR and CSK’s owner faced accusations, no court definitively proved the teams guilty of match-fixing and spot-fixing.
2018:IPL Season
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has faced challenges in fighting the match-fixing and spot bookies. The Supreme Court put a ban and overturned three players including Sreesanth but the bans were lifted due to insufficient evidence against players.
These incidents have forced the IPL Governing body to take stricter measures to strengthen the game’s popularity and stop the cases of match-fixing during the season
Consequences for the Match-Fixing Teams in IPL
Following the match-fixing incidents and conspiracies, both CSK and RR were terminated from playing for two consecutive seasons and were not able to participate in the high cricket-drama matches. The suspension from the IPL Season came as a shock for fans all over the world with just a question that why the teams were banned from the Cash rich series seasons.
Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were banned for two years for match-fixing scandal for 2016 and 2017 season
The 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) season was overshadowed by a big scandal that shocked cricket fans. An investigation by the Lodha Committee found that there was illegal betting going on involving people from two teams: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). Gurunath Meiyappan from CSK and Raj Kundra from RR were involved in the scandal. Because of what happened, both CSK and RR were banned from playing in the IPL for two years. And theory was replaced by the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Gujarat Lions respectively.
The RPS was a replacement for the CSK and was owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. And Gujarat Lions took the place of Rajasthan Royals in the seasons or which they were banned. Just after the ban got suspended the respective teams came back to their original titles and the RPS and Gujarat Lions were dismissed.
IPL 2024: Match Fixing Status
In the current scenarios of IPL 2024, to take a call on the match-fixing matches, The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is keeping a watchful eye on the ongoing IPL 2024 to prevent any potential wrongdoing. The board officials have arrested match bookies from two venues, both involving Rajasthan Royals matches. This shows that ACU is dedicated to working to eliminate any match-fixing potential and also working for the integrity of the tournament.
Statements of Big Players on the Match-Fixing Scandals
Following the ban and dismissal from consecutive over-match-fixing trials and controversies, the team owners and players have always been a topic of scrutiny and have often been in the news for their remarks. Here are some of the remarks and statements of the big players on the match-fixing scenarios.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Dhoni opened up about the match-fixing back in 2019 and said that the time of suspension and ban of CSK was the time when he was the most depressed and according to him, match-fixing can only happen when the majority of players and teammates are ready for it.
Rajasthan Royals
Taking action on the news of match-fixing, Rajasthan Royals suspended all the players involved in the match-fixing. Upon these issues, the royals said- “ we need to respond firmly to keep the league fair. We’ve taken strong action to show our commitment to an honest and ethical IPL. As usual, we’re focused on protecting the sport’s reputation and making sure those who are responsible are held accountable.”
Gautam Gambhir
Talking and citing a reference to the IPL Match fixing scenarios Gautam Gambhir was seen commenting indirectly, he said that-
“If you ask me, nothing. Spirit of the game, everyone plays within the spirit of the game. Whatever is written in laws, you’ve got all the right to use it. You’ve not done any match fixing and not tampered with the ball. You’ve got all the right to play hard. And got all the right to win a game of cricket within the rules of the game irrespective of how you win. That’s about it and that is what is the spirit of the game.”
“I would have been fine with it. I would have been fine with it because it was the non-strikers responsibility to hold its ground. And that is something. Had Bishnoi got mankaded, I would have been fine with it. know obviously I might have been sad because we wouldn’t have won that game. But then it’s up to the non-strikers. Absolutely.”
