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

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

• Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, former co-owner of the SoBo Supersonics, has been banned by BCCI Ombudsman Justice (Retd) Arun Mishra for attempting to corrupt players Dhawal Kulkarni and Bhavin Thakkar during the 2019 Mumbai T20 League.
• The ban’s duration is unspecified but could range from five years to a life ban under the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption code, following an investigation into match-fixing approaches.
• The order reveals that an intermediary, Sonu Vasan, was involved in offering financial incentives to Thakkar to influence match outcomes, while Kulkarni’s involvement remains less detailed.

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.

Kulkarni, who had retired after winning the Ranji Trophy in March 2024, also represented India in 12 ODIs and two T20Is.

Bhamrah, who was also involved with the now-defunct GT20 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 to 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, the order merely states that his “statement was recorded by the ACU” without getting into the specifics.

Edited PTI copy