BCCI Suspends Kundra, Launches 'Operation Clean-Up'

Bangalore: The Indian cricket board decided to do away with IPL after-match parties and cheerleaders as part of "Operation Clean-up", and also suspended part-owner of Rajasthan Royals Raj Kundra on the Delhi Police commissioner's assertion that he had admitted to betting.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at the emergency meeting of its working committee, also put in place some stringent rules for players, officials and support staff by barring them from accepting gifts and requiring them to furnish their telephone numbers before the start of the Indian Premier League.

These measures follow the suspension of Chennai Super Kings chief Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra over betting and spot-fixing scandal.

BCCI interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya at the meeting also promised to look into India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's alleged conflict of interest after the team returns from the Champions Trophy in England and Wales.

"I don't want to disturb the team during the Champions Trophy. I gain nothing by doing that. We have a taken a note of the (Dhoni) issue, we are looking into it but we are not going to hound someone," said Dalmiya.

Dhoni courted controversy recently following reports that he held 15 percent stake in Rhiti Sports Management, which manages accounts of cricketers Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, besides the Indian skipper.

The company claimed that Dhoni held the shares for a brief while, and those were transferred back to the company in April after the payments to the India captain were cleared.

Kundra, who was suspended pending inquiry, came down heavily on the board and the media for giving currency to what he called unsubstantiated reports over his alleged betting on IPL games.

"All sorts of accusations were made against me without proof, by people in powerful positions. It is sad that without accurate facts, I am being made a scapegoat and put under trial by the media based on unproved claims," Kundra said in a statement.