The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to start in less than two weeks. With 18 successful seasons to its credit, the cash-rich league promises nothing less than the previous editions
in the upcoming one.
But with the glitz and glamour of the tournament also comes the glaring eye of controversies. The Indian Premier League has seen several of those, and we will take a look at the top 10.
Rocked by Spot-Fixing Allegations: A television channel’s sting operation caught multiple players on camera accepting bribes for spot-fixing in 2012, prompting the BCCI to act by suspending five cricketers, Shalabh Srivastava, TP Sudhindra, Abhinav Bali, Mohnish Mishra and Amit Yadav, across all formats pending an inquiry. A committee was formed, with a 15-day deadline to submit its report.
The 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandal came to light when Delhi Police arrested three cricketers, S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, on charges of alleged spot-fixing.
Luke Pomersbach Arrested Over Alleged Molestation of US Woman: In May 2012, he was arrested for molesting a woman and assaulting her fiancé after an incident at a hotel in India. Pomersbach was later released on bail and required to surrender his passport. The case was settled out of court, with all charges dropped.
Shah Rukh Khan Involved in Wankhede Stadium Altercation: In 2012, he was involved in a heated altercation with security staff at Wankhede Stadium after an IPL game. The Mumbai Cricket Association handed Shah Rukh a five-year ban, which was later reduced to three. He later said that his reaction was triggered by the alleged mistreatment of his children and offensive behaviour from a security guard.
Kochi Franchise Terminated from League: The Kochi Tuskers Kerala were terminated by BCCI for breaching their agreement, as confirmed by then president N Srinivasan after the annual general meeting in Mumbai. The decision was triggered by the team’s failure to furnish a fresh bank guarantee for the 2011 season. With the deadline all set for March 26, 2011, BCCI exercised its right to terminate the contract after the team couldn’t comply.
Pakistani and Bangladeshi Players Left Out of IPL: Following the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks carried out by the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. In the aftermath, Pakistani players were excluded from the IPL, with none selected by any team during the 2009 auction.
During the 2025 IPL auction held on November 24-25, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 13 Bangladeshi players were registered, with 12 entering the auction. But none were sold, triggering backlash from Bangladeshi fans and cricketers. After the auction, the exclusion of Bangladeshi cricketers received support from some in India, citing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5, 2024.
Security problems: On May 9, the 2025 IPL season was suspended for a week because of the India-Pakistan conflict. With multiple airports in North India closed, the Indian Railways arranged special Vande Bharat Express trains for cricketers, support staff, commentators, production crews and operations personnel at the request of BCCI.
Lalit Modi removed from IPL leadership: Lalit Modi, the founder and first chairman of the Indian Premier League, was removed from his roles and handed a life ban by BCCI in 2013 after his suspension in 2010. He faced 22 charges, including financial irregularities, bid-rigging for new teams and misbehaviour, after a probe into the league’s operations.
Ravindra Jadeja banned: Ravindra Jadeja was handed a one-year ban from the Indian Premier League in February 2010 for breaching contractual guidelines. After failing to renew his deal with the Rajasthan Royals, he attempted to negotiate with the Mumbai Indians, a move that violated league rules and resulted in his suspension for the entire 2010 season.
Team ownership controversy: In April 2010, then BCCI president Shashank Manohar stated at a press conference that the board and the IPL Governing Council were unaware of the actual ownership structures of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
During the same time, former BCCI president AC Muthiah filed a petition in the Supreme Court against N. Srinivasan, alleging that he had amended BCCI rules during his tenure to enable himself to own the Chennai Super Kings. The petition argued that this constituted a clear conflict of interest.
Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth: On April 25, 2008, after Kings XI Punjab’s victory over the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League at Mohali, the latter was slapped under the eye by Mumbai skipper Harbhajan Singh. The incident came to light when Sreesanth was seen on TV cameras in tears on the field just before the presentation ceremony.
