IPL: Match-day post could land Deepak Hooda in trouble

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, and the Anti-Corruption Unit, headed by Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala, is keeping a close eye on the ongoing Indian Premier League, being played in UAE.

A social media post by Punjab Kings batsman Deepak Hooda, on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Punjab's match against Rajasthan Royals, will be checked by the ACU team to see if it breached anti-corruption guidelines.

An ACU official said while the Instagram post did not say anything about the team composition, they will definitely look into it to see if it violated the rules set by the BCCI ACU.

"ACU will look into this post. Our restrictions are that there shall not be any talk about the composition of the team," the official said.

Hooda took to Instagram around 1400 hours and posted a picture showing him putting on the team helmet.

He wrote: "Here we go @punjabkingsipl #pbksvsrr #ipl2021 #saddapunjab."

Asked if there was any discussion on how cricketers should react to social media messages they get from fans and followers, the ACU official replied: "There is a guideline on the dos and don'ts."

Former ACU chief Ajit Singh, ahead of last year's IPL in the UAE, had said social media interactions were being closely monitored by his team.

"See, while the number of venues is less; the hurdles of physical movement due to the coronavirus pandemic also means that approaches if any will be made through social media. So we are going to be closely monitoring the same and ensuring that there is nothing that escapes the team's eyes," he told ANI last year.

The former chief also made it clear that while public relations teams handle some of the players' social media accounts, the players need to be careful to ensure there is no let-up from their side.

Yes, it is handled by their teams in some cases. But, at the end of the day, it is their accounts. So the players must have a team around them which is aware of these things and no sooner they see anything suspicious, they should report the same to us. It has to be a joint effort," he had explained.

The 14th season, which was halted midway in May in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed on September 19 in Dubai, with Chennai Super Kings taking on defending champions Mumbai Indians.

The action then shifted to Abu Dhabi, where Kolkata Knight Riders squared off against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Sharjah will host its first game on September 24, when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings.

Dubai will host 13 matches, Sharjah 10 and Abu Dhabi 8.

• IPL 2021