A group of scam artists staged a phoney IPL competition on a rural farm in the Molipur hamlet of the Mehsana district’s Vadnagar taluka to deceive Russian bettors with the fake IPL Gujarat match video also streamed on a YouTube channel
In a frightening event, a Gujarati village staged a phoney Indian Premier League (IPL) to defraud Russian bettors. The organisers assembled teams by contacting local farmers and unemployed teenagers sporting IPL franchise jerseys. The tournament was set up on a distant farm of Molipur village in Vadnagar taluka of Mehsana district for Russian gamblers who are rumoured to be gambling addicts.
Fake IPL Organised By Asif Mohammed And Shoeb Davda In Gujarat To Dupe Russians, Arrest After Video Of Live Match Is Streamed On YouTube Channel
To trick Russian bettors, IPL was held in a Gujarati hamlet. They used CSK, MI, and GT shirts while playing the games, which were aired on YouTube.#FakeIPL #BCCI #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/P1Mw7zvbAg
— Backchod Indian (@IndianBackchod) July 11, 2022
India: Police rumble fake 'IPL' cricket league: Police say a gang set up a fake version of the Indian Premier League and fooled Russian gamblers. #news #asianews pic.twitter.com/NvY0p5wL2c
— Toufaani (@Toufaani) July 11, 2022
This fake IPL in Gujarat was a P!$$Ful Venture !! pic.twitter.com/BGXJ9aa62S
— 🚩🕉️🇮🇳Chanakya चाणक्य🇮🇳🕉️🚩 (@Chanakya_Says) July 11, 2022
Fake IPL : क्रिकेटर, कमेंटेटर, अंपायर सब नकली.. गुजरात में खड़ा हो गया फेक IPL नेटवर्क,#Inkhabar #Fakeipl #cricket https://t.co/vba6tpgEqs pic.twitter.com/0yq80MuGzu
— InKhabar (@Inkhabar) July 11, 2022
Fake IPL in Gujarat village duped Russians.
A “commentator” from Meerut with a talent for mimicking Harsha Bhogle added to the feel of the fake tournament, inducing punters to bet their roubles on the Telegram channel.#FakeIPL pic.twitter.com/Q4ozJdfTlB
— TATA IPL 2023 | Everything 'Cricket' & #IPL2023 🏏 (@IPLnCricket) July 11, 2022
The event had advanced to the quarterfinals before the police intervened, according to The Times of India. Three weeks after the original IPL tournament ended, the organisers kicked off the new competition.
These fraudsters took money from bettors in the Russian cities of Tver, Voronezh, and Moscow for phoney cricket matches that were broadcast on a channel called the IPL on YouTube. The mock matches had a more authentic feel thanks to the 21 workers wearing Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Gujarat Titans jerseys and the recorded crowd noise.
The wagers were accepted on a Telegram channel, and the scam artists also employed a Meerut-based pundit to pass for Harsha Bhogle. Four individuals have so far been detained in total, and an investigation is ongoing.
The entire scheme was devised by a man named Shoeb Davda, who spent eight months in a Russian bar notorious for accepting bets, according to SOG PI, Mehsana, and Bhavesh Rathod.
“Shoeb leased Ghulam Masih’s property and placed halogen lights there. He promised Rs 400 for each match, which helped 21 farm labourers get ready. He subsequently hired cameramen and bought IPL team T-shirts. When the police got the tip, they knew there was a problem,” Rathod added.
Later, Shoeb disclosed that he had met Asif Mohammed, the scheme’s creator, while he was employed at the Russian pub.
“Shoeb accepted bets. Kolu, the umpire, would be told to signal fours and sixes by him. The baller and batsman would be warned by Kolu. The next pitch would be sluggish, giving the batsman a chance to knock it for a four or a six. To demonstrate that the ball was out of sight, the cameramen would pan the cameras upward.”