Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah Gets Lifetime ban

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, who was once the co-owner of a team in the Mumbai T20 League, for life. This decision came after it was found that he tried to fix matches by approaching two Mumbai players, Dhawal Kulkarni and Bhavin Thakkar, during the 2019 season.

Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, owner of a Mumbai T20 League team, has been handed a lifetime ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Ombudsman for violating the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Code. The ban stems from an attempted match-fixing incident during the semi-final of the league's second season in May 2019. Bhamrah approached a player to fix the match, who then reported the approach to the relevant authorities. Following an investigation by the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, Bhamrah was found guilty, leading to the Ombudsman's decision to impose the maximum penalty. Justice Arun Mishra, the Ombudsman and former Supreme Court judge, emphasized the need for strict action against corrupt practices in cricket. Additionally, Bhamrah had commercial interests in cricket leagues outside India, including in Canada. 

The ban was announced by BCCI’s Ombudsman, retired judge Arun Mishra, after a proper investigation. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of BCCI looked into the matter and found proof that Bhamrah tried to bribe the players to perform badly on purpose, which is a serious offence in cricket. Dhawal Kulkarni is a well-known medium pace bowler who has played 12 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a few T20 matches for India. Bhavin Thakkar is also a known face in Mumbai cricket. 

According to the ACU report, a man named Sonu Vasan contacted Bhavin Thakkar on behalf of Bhamrah, who the players referred to as “Paaji” and offered him money and other benefits to underperform in matches. Vasan even told Thakkar that if he agreed, Bhamrah himself could join the call to discuss further.

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Even though Thakkar refused to be involved, just making such an offer is considered a major violation under BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Code. The code says that such actions can result in a ban of at least five years, and up to a lifetime ban. In this case, Bhamrah has been banned for life.

The order also mentions that Dhawal Kulkarni’s statement was recorded, but didn’t share many details about his side of the story. Kulkarni retired from professional cricket in March 2024 after winning the Ranji Trophy with Mumbai.

Bhamrah Was Also Involved In GT20 Canada league

Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah, the founder of the Global T20 Canada (GT20 Canada) league, has been instrumental in establishing the tournament as a significant platform for cricket in North America. Launched in 2018, GT20 Canada was the first ICC-sanctioned T20 league in the region, aiming to provide opportunities for players from Associate nations and to promote the sport's growth in Canada.

Gurmeet Singh Bhamrah was also involved in the now-closed GT20 Canada league. He used to co-own the SoBo Supersonics team in the Mumbai T20 League, which is returning this year after being paused due to COVID-19 since 2019.