The Indian Premier League (IPL) is once again under the scanner for not the right reasons, as a hidden-camera investigation by Tehelka’s Special Investigation Team has reported an alleged playing XI leak network operating at the heart of the IPL.
A former Ranji Trophy cricketer, Rachit Bhatia, was named as the middleman, and Snapchat was used as the communication channel to bookmakers sitting thousands of miles away in London.
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Bhatia is 28 years old, debuted for Nagaland in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, and currently works as a selector and coach for Delhi school cricket teams across the under-14, under-17 and under-19 age groups.
The Tehelka sting places him at the centre of an operation that allegedly brokered inside information between a young Delhi-based cricketer and London bookmakers.
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The player who allegedly provided that information was not named in Tehelka’s original report. However, cricket journalist Pratyush Halder subsequently identified him on X as Vansh Bedi.
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He is a 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Almora, Uttarakhand. Chennai Super Kings had bought Bedi for Rs 55 lakh at the IPL 2025 auction, where he was expected to serve as a wicketkeeper option.
But a practice injury before a match against RCB saw him replaced by Urvil Patel for the rest of the season.
According to Tehelka’s findings, Bhatia allegedly received Chennai Super Kings’ playing XI information from Bedi before the toss for five matches during IPL 2025.
The rate was Rs 60 lakh per game, and that information was then forwarded to London-based bookmakers via Snapchat. The total alleged earnings across those five matches came to nearly Rs 3 crore.
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The system used to pass information was deliberately coded. Emoji sequences represented individual players, with names avoided entirely. Cash-only payments were insisted upon by Bhatia as Physical meetings took place in Model Town, Delhi, and at Hotel Shangri-La. Payment was made within one to one-and-a-half hours of the information being passed on.
“I fixed five matches during the 2025 Indian Premier League [IPL] season by passing inside information about the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to bookies in London via Snapchat. I earned Rs 60 lakh per match, totalling Rs 3 crore for those five matches,” revealed Bhatia to a Tehelka undercover reporter.
“I also engaged in spot-fixing during the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a tournament I played in. I deliberately bowled two wide balls, receiving Rs 8 lakh per ball from the bookies, making a total of Rs 16 lakh.”
When the IPL wrapped up, the alleged operation moved to domestic franchise cricket. Bedi played for Central Delhi Kings in the Delhi Premier League 2026, and scored a 47 not out off 16 balls in a rain-affected match against Outer Delhi Warriors.
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The alleged rates for DPL information were lower: Rs 40 lakh per game compared to Rs 60 lakh for the IPL. But Bhatia allegedly claimed the accuracy guarantee was higher.
IPL information came with a 90% accuracy guarantee; DPL information, he reportedly claimed, was 100% reliable.
On August 3, 2026, a playing XI allegedly passed to Tehelka’s undercover reporter matched the official team announced for a Central Delhi Kings versus North Delhi Strikers match.
The DPL was being broadcast live on Star Sports, making the leaked information immediately actionable for in-play betting.
The sting arrives against a backdrop of increased BCCI concern about corruption seeping into lower-tier domestic competition.
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The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit expanded its monitoring to all state T20 leagues in August 2026; the first time comprehensive ACSU coverage extended beyond international cricket, the IPL and mainstream domestic fixtures.
The trigger was an identified pattern of bookmakers and suspicious individuals approaching players, team owners and managers across state tournaments.
Six players were caught with smartphones in restricted areas across various state leagues during this expanded monitoring period. A Tamil Nadu Premier League player was fined Rs 1 lakh and banned from the tournament after a phone was found in a restricted dressing room zone.
The BCCI has not yet issued an official response to the allegations.
