IPL: Deepak Hooda under the match-fixing radar

Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Deepak Hooda came under BCCI’s match-fixing scanner for his recent Instagram post. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the board, headed by Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala, is currently investigating the issue.

If we get into the matter, Deepak Hooda shared a photo on his Instagram profile around 2 pm on Tuesday, ahead of Punjab’s match against Rajasthan Royals. We can see Hooda in the photo and it is captioned, “Here we go @punjabkingsipl #pbksvsrr #ipl2021 #saddapunjab.”

As per the rules of IPL, players should not hint or reveal that they are in the playing XI until the toss happens. Thus, Hooda’s post is being scrutinized now to see if it breaches IPL guidelines.

Speaking to the ANI, a former ACU official said, “ACU will look into this post. Our restrictions are that there shall not be any talk about the composition of the team.”

He further said that the players will be informed about do’s and dont’s during the league. He added that the social media interactions of players are being monitored closely by the officials.

“See, while the number of venues is less, the hurdles of physical movement due to the coronavirus pandemic also means that approaches if any will be made through social media. So, we are going to be closely monitoring the same and ensuring that there is nothing that escapes the team’s eyes,” stated the official.

There is a chance that Hooda’s post was shared by his PR team. Responding to it, the official said, “Yes, it is handled by their teams in some cases. But at the end of the day, it is their accounts. So, the players must have a team around them which is aware of these things and no sooner they see anything suspicious, they should report the same to us. It has to be a joint effort.”