CSK’s IPL Suspension: What Really Happened?
Chennai Super Kings are arguably the most successful and supported franchise of the T20 league. They have won the IPL record five times and reached the playoffs more than any franchise in the tournament. However, their 17-year-old gold run has been far from a bed of roses. Maybe, the most disappointing moment for Chennai Super Kings fans was when CSK was suspended from the IPL for two years and Rajasthan Royals as well. But the question remains. Why was CSK suspended for 2 years in IPL?
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There are a few cricket teams that lift trophies. There are others who lift hearts. Chennai Super Kings did both. CSK became one of the most respected sides in IPL. They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. Their battles with Mumbai Indians were intense.
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And then there was the shock. CSK was banned by the IPL for two years in 2015. The fans were shell-shocked. Their favorite team — lost.
But why?
In 2013, there were whispers of corruption. These whispers were in the direction of Gurunath Meiyappan. He was a CSK administrator and BCCI President N Srinivasan’s son-in-law. Meiyappan played a major role in team affairs. He was found to be guilty by investigators of sharing team news with bookies.
The scandal broke on the day of CSK’s match against Mumbai Indians. By nightfall, Meiyappan was in handcuffs.
CSK paid the price. A two-year ban disillusioned fans and IPL was less vibrant without its star attraction.
But CSK did not crack. When they returned in 2018, they did not play — they dominated. Their victory was not just a win; it was redemption. The Rajasthan Royals franchise’s co-owner, Raj Kundra, was charged with the same as well. In July 2015, the Indian Supreme Court formed a three-member commission led by the former Chief Justice of India. R M Lodha. The match-fixing and betting enterprise resulted in the Justice Lodha Committee issuing Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals as a two-year ban from the Indian Premier League for 2016 and 2017. Rajasthan Royals’ key administrator Raj Kundra and CSK’s Gurunath Meiyappan had their life suspended for all cricket games organized by BCCI.
The first CSK allegations
The initial charges against CSK surfaced when Meiyappan was arrested and the police case against spot fixing in the 2013 season of IPL was filed. Three Rajasthan Royals players, S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, were also arrested for spot fixing. Meiyappan had even been privy to entering the CSK dugout and was arrested on charges of IPL match betting. CSK, the tournament’s most loved franchise, were questioned right away and the core of the IPL was stirred.
Gurunath Meiyappan’s role
Meiyappan was a key official in the CSK and the son-in-law of then BCCI President N Srinivasan. He clearly had access to the players, the dugout and all that went on within the franchise. When his name first surfaced that he was betting matches during IPL 2013, he was taken in for interrogation and was eventually arrested.
arrests
It started on May 16 2013, when Delhi Police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players – Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – on charges of “fraud and cheating”. One of the old Royals players, Amit Singh, was also taken into custody as one of the bookies involved. A week later, there was a new twist when Mumbai Police called Meiyappan for questioning regarding the betting. He was arrested a day later. He was released on bail after 11 days but with the condition that he should not travel out of India.
The declaration of the ban
The Mukul Mugdal Committee was constituted by the Supreme Court of India to look into allegations and the betting during the IPL. The Supreme Court also constituted the Justice Lodha Committee to inquire deeper into the betting scandal. The committee recommended a two-year ban on CSK and Rajasthan Royals, a move which rocked Indian cricket.
Chennai Super Kings performance throughout the years
The Chennai Super Kings team have perhaps been one of the most well-liked and followed teams of the Indian Premier League. The team won the championships of IPL 2010 and 2011 and offered stiff competition in most of the matches played. CSK topped the league in 2013 and was the highest-rated team of the IPL. The team had five foreign and five Indian bowlers in the players, which gave its bowling attack a boost. CSK’s popularity remained on the rise and was at a peak in 2013. The team got some star players in the team in the 2014 auction where it had 21 crores worth of budget to spend.
The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings was enjoying a good reputation, fetching the top bids, until the team was struck by a huge blow. The match-fixing scandal sent a shockwave in the cricketing community.
MS Dhoni on Chennai Super Kings Match-Fixing
Following the 2-year IPL suspension of CSK, a documentary was made before the IPL 2019 season called Roar of the Lion. In the documentary, Dhoni spoke about the darkest moment of his career when the team was suspended from the IPL. He stated, “The biggest crime that I can commit is not a murder, it is actually match-fixing”. The documentary focused on CSK’s return to IPL after suspension.
Dhoni was devastated by the allegations leveled against his team members and himself. He explained how difficult that time was and that the comeback was a moment of sheer emotion for the team.
CSK Comeback in 2018
It was a moment of sheer emotion for CSK as much as for its fans when the team returned during the 2018 season. After a superb performance on its return, the team made up for the years it had lost in obscurity.
- 2018: CSK made a comeback, winning the IPL title. This was under MS Dhoni.
- 2019: Reached the final. but lost to Mumbai Indians by just one run.
- 2020: Faced a poor season, missing the playoffs for the first time.
- 2021: Bounced back and claimed the IPL title once again.
- 2022: Ravindra Jadeja replaced Dhoni as captain. Dhoni returned mid-season. but CSK missed the playoffs.
- 2023: CSK won the IPL final against Gujarat Titans.
- 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad took over as captain; CSK missed the playoffs.
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