Former Pune Devils assistant coach banned for six years by ICC for corruption

Sunny Dhillon, the former assistant coach of the Pune Devils in the Abu Dhabi T10 league, has been banned from all forms of cricket for six years by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The ban comes after Dhillon was found guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.

Dhillon was one of eight individuals charged with corrupt activities related to match-fixing attempts during the 2021 edition of the tournament. Among the others charged were Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain, two co-owners of Pune Devils (Krishan Kumar Chaudhary and Parag Sanghvi), their batting coach Ashar Zaidi, two domestic players, and the team manager Shadab Ahamed. 

The charges against Dhillon included attempting to fix matches, failing to disclose corrupt approaches, and refusing to cooperate with investigations. He was found guilty under three separate articles of the ECB's Anti-Corruption Code. 

Dhillon’s suspension has been retroactively applied from September 13, 2023, the date he was provisionally suspended. 

This is part of an ongoing investigation into corruption in the Abu Dhabi T10, a league that has faced multiple controversies over match-fixing. Several other individuals linked to the Pune Devils have also been banned, including Hossain, who was banned for two years in January 2024, and other team officials who admitted to their involvement in the fixing attempts.

The Pune Devils finished last in the 2021 T10 tournament, winning only one of their six matches.