A local cricket league in Uttar Pradesh was blocked by the BCCI for using Virat Kohli’s image in its promotional materials. Known as the ‘NCR Cricket League’, the organizers used the image of Kohli flashing the victory sign.
Kohli’s image was part of the Mobile Premier League (MPL) advertisement which he endorses and invited participants to make teams on the fantasy league site. “We intercepted them at the stage of team selections. We sent out an advisory to all our registered players not to participate,” said BCCI ACU head Ajit Singh.
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The first delivery in the league would have been bowled on Aug 11 at Hapur town in Uttar Pradesh if BCCI ACU had not intervened. As has been the case in unauthorized leagues, the matches were to be streamed on YouTube, which is seen as facilitating illegal betting.
The matches were organized by a Delhi-based man under the umbrella of the NCR cricket association. The league’s social media page had invited ‘India players, Ranji players, and board players’ to participate.
BCCI steps in to monitor, and intervene, only when its players are targets. “If they get our registered players and they get exposed to corruption at an elementary stage, it is not good for their careers or the game. But if someone stages cricket with mohalla (street) cricketers, we can’t do anything” says Singh.
The NCR cricket league’s social page has videos of player auctions held over snacks and tea in a small hall—players going for a few thousand rupees each—across six teams. The league is said to have been postponed, pending permission from the local administration. “Initially, they claimed to have Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association’s permission,” the ACU chief said.
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The organizers of the ‘Hapur Premier League’, who were held earlier this year, had put out videos using the images of Kohli and the MPL brand for promotion. It was advertised as ‘the biggest tournament in Uttar Pradesh’. MPL denied having any contracts. “We have no contracts or deals with these leagues,” an MPL spokesman said.
With the fantasy gaming industry flourishing—a study expects entry fee for various contests to touch Rs 16,500 crore this year—officials want tighter self-regulation.
This is not the first time a fantasy league platform was used in a fraudulent manner. Recently, Dream Sports’ streaming website, Fan Code, came under scrutiny for tying up with the Uva league, which turned out to be dubious. Fan Code claimed to be an aggrieved party, and a police probe is on.
“Fantasy platforms and streaming platforms should do due diligence,” says Singh.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
