Major Fraud in Domestic Cricket: 12 Players Linked to One Aadhaar Address in Pondicherry

Cricket:
in India is globally respected, with the BCCI leading world cricket, strict selection rules, and massive fan following. But in contrast, the state-level cricket system in Pondicherry appears to be moving in a different direction.

The investigation found that a parallel racket, involving:

Coaches

Private cricket academies

Fixers

Insider support

was helping out-of-state cricketers gain local player status — bypassing rules meant to protect regional talent.

₹1.2 Lakh Fee to “Become Local”

As per the report, players allegedly paid ₹1.2 lakh to obtain:

Fake residential proofs

Back-dated college admissions

Fabricated job records

Counterfeit utility bills

This helped them qualify under BCCI’s one-year residency requirement, even though most never lived in Pondicherry.

Once paperwork was “fixed,” players were directly selected into CAP squads, edging out genuine local cricketers.

Aadhaar Fraud at the Core

The investigation reviewed over 2,000 registration forms and surveyed physical addresses. Many addresses did not exist or were occupied by unrelated families unaware of the fraud.

One shocking finding: 12 registered cricketers listed the exact same Aadhaar address.

Who Is Responsible?

The report suggests the fraud occurred with the tacit approval or lack of oversight from:

Pondicherry Cricket Association officials

Coaches

Private cricket academies

and allegedly without strong intervention from BCCI.

This raises serious concerns over transparency and fairness in domestic cricket — especially when the IPL and state-level scouting depend on accurate registration.

Local Players Feel Cheated

Local Pondicherry cricketers claim they’ve been ignored, removed or benched, despite performing well.

For many, the system now feels:

“Buy a place, not earn it.”

What Happens Next?

The scandal is likely to trigger:

Internal BCCI inquiry

Scrutiny of domestic tournament eligibility

Verification of all Aadhaar and residency documents

Possible suspensions and bans

If confirmed, this could be one of the biggest eligibility frauds in Indian domestic cricket.