A former Ranji Trophy player has made a series of match-fixing and betting-related claims involving the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as part of an undercover investigation by Tehelka.
According to the Tehelka report, Rachit Bhatia, who played six First-Class matches and two T20s for Nagaland, told an undercover reporter posing as a bookmaker that he had passed CSK’s playing XI to bookmakers before the official announcement during the 2025 IPL season.
Bhatia claimed that the information was received from a player in the CSK squad and was passed on to bookmakers in London through Snapchat.
It is important to note that these claims are allegations made during the undercover operation and have not been independently verified. The Tehelka report also does not identify the CSK player allegedly involved.
Bhatia Claims He Received Rs 3 Crore
As per the report, Bhatia claimed that he had provided CSK’s playing XI information for five IPL matches in 2025.
He allegedly told the undercover reporter that he was paid Rs 60 lakh for each match, taking the total amount to Rs 3 crore.
Bhatia also claimed that he placed bets himself using the information he received.
Playing XIs are officially announced at the toss, usually shortly before the start of a match. The alleged early access to such information could therefore provide an advantage to anyone using it for betting.
Claims About IPL 2026
During the conversation, Bhatia allegedly claimed that he could arrange similar access to CSK’s playing XI during the 2026 IPL season if a player known to him was picked by the franchise.
According to the report, he quoted Rs 60 lakh per match for advance playing-XI information.
He also allegedly quoted Rs 1 crore per match for spot-fixing and claimed there was a 90 per cent guarantee.
The report later said Bhatia told the undercover reporter that his contact had not been selected for the 2026 IPL because of an injury. He then shifted his focus towards the Delhi Premier League.
DPL Claims Also Made
Bhatia allegedly told the undercover reporter that the same player would be involved in the DPL and that he could provide information about the team’s playing XI before the official announcement.
The Tehelka report said Bhatia initially discussed one DPL franchise before later shifting his focus to the Central Delhi Kings.
The investigation also claims that Bhatia discussed possible spot-fixing methods, including deliberately getting a player run out and influencing the way a batter played.
Tehelka said it later compared one playing XI provided by Bhatia before the toss with the official team announced for the August 3 DPL match between Central Delhi Kings and North Delhi Strikers. According to the report, the two XIs matched.
However, this reported match between the information provided and the official XI does not by itself establish that a match was fixed or that any player participated in fixing.
What The Report Says About The ICC Rules
The conduct described in the investigation relates to the use and disclosure of inside information for betting.
The report cites Articles 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which deal with the misuse and disclosure of inside information for betting purposes.
The allegations made in the investigation would need to be examined by the relevant cricket authorities before any conclusions are reached about individual players or teams.
CSK’s Previous Suspension
CSK has previously been involved in a separate betting-related case.
The franchise was suspended from the IPL for two seasons in 2015 after team official Gurunath Meiyappan was found guilty of betting during the 2013 IPL season.
The Justice Lodha Committee found that Meiyappan had placed bets on IPL matches, including matches involving CSK, and had maintained contact with bookmakers.
That earlier case is separate from the allegations raised in the latest Tehelka investigation. The current report does not establish that CSK as a franchise was involved in the alleged activities described by Bhatia.
DDCA Issues Clarification
The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), which organises the Delhi Premier League, has taken note of the reports and said the allegations have not been established by any competent authority.
The association said it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about any player, individual or franchise based only on allegations.
Given the seriousness of the matter, the DDCA said it had written to the relevant authorities and shared the information that had come to its notice, asking for the matter to be examined through the appropriate process.
The DDCA also reiterated its zero-tolerance approach towards activities that could compromise the integrity of cricket and said it would cooperate fully with any investigation carried out by the competent authorities.
The association added that any action, if required, would be taken according to the findings of the relevant authorities and the applicable rules and regulations.
The DDCA stressed the need to distinguish between allegations and established facts and said due process should be allowed to take its course.
Allegations Yet To Be Established
The Tehelka investigation has raised serious questions about the possible sharing of inside information and alleged spot-fixing in domestic and franchise cricket.
However, the claims made by Bhatia, particularly those relating to CSK’s 2025 IPL matches, remain allegations and have not been independently established.
The matter has now been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, with the DDCA saying it has shared the information available to it for examination.