Controversy erupted with former Karnataka Ranji players CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi being arrested for spot-fixing charges during the league finals earlier this year. Gautam, the captain of the Bellary Tuskers, and Kazi, who is in the same team, apparently accepted INR 20 lakh to bat slowly.
Chasing 153, Tuskers ended up with 144 as captain and opener Gautam scored a 37-ball 29. Meanwhile, Kazi struck 13 off six deliveries. The Tuskers lost the final to Hubli Tigers by eight runs and allegedly the slow batting affected the result.
The arrests follow Karnataka Police’s Central Crime Branch’s (CCB) arrest of Nishant Shekhawat for mediating between bookies and players. The tally of arrests has now gone up to seven in the KPL. Four of them are players. There can be more arrests expected in the upcoming days according to the CCB.
“CCB has made two important arrests in the KPL spot-fixing scandal,” Sandeep Patil, the Joint Commissioner of Police, said according to ESPNCricinfo. “Bellary team captain CM Gautum and Abrar Kazi arrested. They did spot-fixing in KPL 2019 finals between Hubli and Bellary. They were paid 20 lakhs for slow batting. Also, they fixed another match against the Bangalore team. Further investigation on and more arrests would be done.”