Three people have been arrested in Kanpur on suspicion of illegal betting, after the city hosted its first match of the IPL season on Wednesday.

The BCCI said that an investigation into illegal activities during the IPL had been ongoing and resulted in the arrests on Thursday.

‘The Anti Corruption Unit of the BCCI has been tracking activities of certain individuals, as a result of which three suspects were arrested,’ the BCCI said in a statement.

‘Following this operation, the Uttar Pradesh Police Crime Branch could successfully foil the alleged betting attempts of the accused.’

The cash-rich tournament has been somewhat tainted by match-fixing scandals in recent years, with the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals currently serving two-year suspensions due to their respective involvement in illegal-betting.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth meanwhile, who played 27 Tests and 53 ODIs, was served a life ban for his role in match-fixing in 2013.

There is speculation that there may be players involved in the latest scandal, after it was revealed that the suspects arrested on Thursday were staying at the team hotel in Kanpur, though the BCCI is yet to comment on this.

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