Thin Dividing Line: Ties between IPL team owners and offshore dealings

In this excerpt from his latest book, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta writes about the insidious ties between IPL team owners and their offshore dealings

The transformation of the popular game of cricket into a huge and highly lucrative business happened with the launch of the Indian Premier League in 2008. The IPL has a private franchise ownership structure akin to that of sports leagues in the United States. …

It did not take long for allegations of scams—spot-fixing, financial irregularities and sex scandals relating to the IPL to be carried in the media. Not surprisingly, Mauritius, the biggest source of foreign investment in India, has had intricate connections with the IPL….

Matters came to light in 2010, when Times Now television channel reported ‘a