Gurunath Meiyappan

Biography:

Gurunath Meiyappan, a member of the renowned AVM family, is notably recognized as the son-in-law of industrialist N. Srinivasan. Srinivasan has held prominent positions such as the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Gurunath Meiyappan’s connection to the AVM family and his familial ties to Srinivasan were significant aspects of his background. Additionally, he served as the “team principal” for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise, Chennai Super Kings.

However, Meiyappan’s involvement in the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandal cast a shadow over his cricketing career. An inquiry committee led by former Chief Justice RM Lodha conducted an investigation and ultimately found Meiyappan, along with Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra, guilty of tarnishing the reputation of the sport of cricket. Both individuals were banned for life from any cricket-related activities due to their actions, which violated the BCCI’s anti-corruption code.

In the aftermath of this controversy, Meiyappan’s suspension from all cricket activities for life was imposed by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee. This disciplinary action was taken against him for his involvement in illegal betting on IPL matches, which was deemed to have brought the sport of cricket into disrepute. As a result, Meiyappan faced the consequences outlined in the BCCI’s anti-corruption code and was permanently banned from participating in any form of cricket matches, in accordance with section 6, rule 4.2 of the anti-corruption code. Additionally, the Chennai Super Kings franchise, with which he was associated, received a two-year suspension from the Indian Premier League.