Mumbai bookie drags four Sunrisers players into IPL-6 spot-fixing mess

Of the players named,all-rounder Ashish Reddy,22,turns out for Hyderbad in the Ranji Trophy,while 25-year-old Karn Sharma is a leg-break bowler from Meerut who represents Railways in first-class cricket. The only player with the last name ‘Perera’ with the Sunrisers is Thisara Perera,who has represented Sri Lanka in six Tests and 63 ODIs — joining the Hyderabad franchise for its inaugural season in 2013.

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While there is no player by the name/surname of Bihari,the Sunrisers do have a player by the name of Gade Hanuma Vihari,a top-order batsman,on their roster.

When asked about the alleged involvement of four SRH cricketers with a Mumbai-based bookie on Monday,the franchise’s coach Tom Moody preferred not to comment,saying he was there to talk about the ongoing Champions League. Similarly Sankapani,SRH’s media manager,avoided the question and said,“Our focus is on the sport right now. We are here to play cricket and nothing else.”

Apart from the cricketers,all of who played the said match,Patel’s statements also names “Ashish Reddy’s brother” Pritam Reddy,as being present at the Le Meridien hotel in Pune on April 16. Pritam was said to be party to the conversation between the Sunrisers players and bookies “Pintu (Ahmedabad-based bookie Pravin Thakkar),Yusuf,Jeetu and Amir (the conduit),” all of whom then discussed the details of the ‘fix’.

According to the statement in the chargesheet,Patel,a stockbroker from Mumbai,travelled along with his accomplices to Pune on April 16 where Amir (who Patel had met in Hyderabad to negotiate a deal within the last week of March) joined a friend “Sunil,” who introduced the four players and Pritam Reddy to the bookies.

“Pritam Reddy asked me what was expected of them,” Patel’s statement says. “I told him that when the team batted,the score should not exceed 60 runs in 10 overs,and also that the total should not cross 140 as well as that Hyderabad should not win the match. I told Pritam that some signal should also be given. Pritam replied saying he would finalise everything and inform Amir,and that I should contact Amir. Then we returned to Mumbai,” he added.

The next day,Amir called up and told Patel,allegedly,that everything was finalised and that a Sunrisers batsman would get out in the second over of the innings,which was to be considered as a signal,the Mumbai-based bookie has said in his statement. Interestingly,Sunrisers did lose a wicket on the last delivery of the second over — Quinton de Kock was caught on 2 by Mitchell Marsh off Ashok Dinda.

Again,SRH did score less than 60 runs from the first 10 overs,45/2 to be precise. The innings did not cross 140 either,119/8 in 20 overs. Perera scored 2 coming at number eight in the batting order,Ashish Reddy scored an unbeaten 19 at number 10,while Karn Sharma scored 7 and finished with figures of 3-0-13-1 with the ball.

Hyderabad,however,did not lose the match,bowling Pune out for 108. The police said that they didn’t pursue the matter beyond a point due to lack of evidence.

“The cricketers’ names cropped up in Chandresh Patel’s statement as he claimed that he met them. They find mention in the chargesheet only as part of Patel’s statement,but they have not been named as accused in the chargesheet,” said a senior Crime Branch officer,who did not wish to be named. “The matter was pursued by us till the extent possible,but it was found that this was merely an attempt to approach the cricketers,and there was no fixing that actually took place. Since it was merely an attempt by Patel,and nothing came of it,we did not pursue it any further.”

The bets

Another Ahmedabad-based bookie called Jeetu Jain — “a financier,” who Patel had met through his friend Pintu — had allegedly bet Rs 3.5 crore on the score after the first 10 overs,and a further 9 crore on Hyderabad’s result.

“Jeetu earned money off the first 10 overs result,however he lost money since Hyderabad didn’t lose.” This was against what was decided and Patel said he refused to pay up a pre-fixed amount of Rs 6 crore for the “fix” to Amir,who threatened him,and then Patel subsequently refused to pay up.

Earlier,Patel was introduced to the pair of Yusuf and Amir through his Mumbai friend Vinny,and subsequently Amir had booked Yusuf,Pintu and Patel into a hotel at Hyderabad in late March “to discuss Hyderabad’s IPL matches”. “Amir had said that Rs 5 crore would be needed to fix a IPL match at Hyderabad,and I’d have to put in one more crore,making it Rs 6 crore. Jeetu Jain had told Amir that he would finalise the deal if they could meet players. Amir had promised that the bookie would be introduced to the players on April 16 in Pune,” reads Patel’s statement.

Disgraced umpire Asad Rauf,incidentally,officiated in this match. Patel also confessed in the chargesheet that Pintu had introduced him to a friend Manan,who was friends with banned Rajasthan Royals player Amit Singh.

In the chargesheet,Patel also says that he met Royals player Ajit Chandila in the first week of March in Delhi,as instructed by ‘Pintu.’ “Chandila had said that he would not do anything in the first 3 matches,but would start working after that. We then attended a party organised by Chandila at a Delhi flat.”

Bookie Chandresh Patel’s statement

“Pritam Reddy (all-rounder Ashish Reddy’s brother) asked me what was expected of them. I told him that when the team batted,the score should not exceed 60 runs in 10 overs,and also that the total should not cross 140 as well as that Hyderabad should not win the match. I told Pritam that some signal should also be given. Pritam replied saying he would finalise everything and inform Amir (the conduit),that I should contact Amir. Then we returned to Mumbai.”

“Amir had said that Rs 5 crore would be needed to fix a IPL match at Hyderabad,and I’d have to put in one more crore,making it Rs 6 crore. Jeetu Jain (Ahmedabad-based bookie) had told Amir that he would finalise the deal if they could meet players. Amir had promised that the bookie would be introduced to players on Apr 16 inPune.”

Sunrisers did lose a wicket on the last ball of the second over — Quinton de Kock was caught on 2. Again,SRH did score less than 60 runs from the first 10 overs,45/2 to be precise. The innings did not cross 140 either,119/8 in 20 overs. Perera scored 2 coming at No: 8 in the batting order,Ashish Reddy scored an unbeaten 19 at number 10,while Karn Sharma scored 7 and finished with figures of 3-0-13-1. However,SRH won.