Former co-owner of Mumbai T20 league franchise banned for corrupt approach

BCCI ombudsman, Justice (Retd) Arun Mishra, has banned the former co-owner of a Mumbai T20 League franchise, Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, for making a corrupt approach to players Dhawal Kulkarni and Bhavin Thakkar during the 2019 edition of the tournament.

Bhamrah, who was also involved with the Global T20 Canada, is no longer a part of Mumbai T20 League, which is being revived this year after a Covid-enforced suspension following the 2019 edition. He co-owned the SoBo Supersonics.

The order copy doesn't specify the length of the ban, but it might be anything between five years and a life ban as per the codes of the BCCI's anti-corruption code.

The order copy states that a person named Sonu Vasan approached Thakkar to fix matches at Bhamrah's behest.

"Transcript of the conversation shows that Sonu Vasan offered money and other benefits to Bhavin Thakkar at the behest of the respondent. Upon meriting the entire offer that he made on behalf of the respondent, Sonu Vasan told Bhavin Thakkar whatever call Thakkar wishes to take in the matter, Vasan would relay it back to the respondent."

Regarding the approach made to Kulkarni, a former India cricketer who retired from the game after winning the Ranji Trophy with Mumbai in March 2024, the order merely states that his "statement was recorded by the ACU", and doesn't mention specifics.

Edited PTI copy