The South African team that visited India created history in the Test series held during November and made a clean sweep by defeating Team India 2-0. This crushing defeat also freshened the wounds of that 25 year old defeat, when the South African team had defeated India 2-0. However, after that defeat, the issue of match fixing came to light, which shook the entire world. This was in April 2000, when serious allegations of match fixing were made against the cricket teams of India and South Africa. Let us introduce you to the whole matter.

How did the match fixing scandal start?

In the year 2000, Delhi Police taped a suspicious phone call during its routine security check. This call was of a conversation between the then South African captain Hansie Cronje and a bookie. When the police recorded this conversation, match fixing was revealed. Clear information was received in the call as to how the players will take the money and play in the prescribed manner, how many runs will be scored as per the set score, and what will be the team’s strategy. When Delhi Police made this recording public, after this revelation the ICC and all the national cricket boards decided to further tighten the anti-corruption rules.

Hansie Cronje initially denied the allegations, but later admitted that he fixed matches by taking money from bookies. After this confession, he was banned from cricket for life. Hansie Cronje died in a plane crash in 2002.

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Which Indian players’ names came out?

As new revelations continued to emerge, the Indian cricket team also came under suspicion. The case was handed over to CBI, in which the names of many Indian players came to light. These included Ajay Jadeja, Mohammad Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma. Cricket fans were surprised when the names of such big players came forward.

After investigation, Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma were banned for life. Whereas Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar were banned for five years each. Although all the players were banned from playing cricket, no legal case was registered.

What were the changes in cricket rules?

Strict monitoring of players: During matches or tournaments, their movements and suspicious calls started being monitored.

Security of team hotels increased: Entry of suspicious persons and bookies was banned. The team was given a separate floor and strong surveillance.

No contact with bookies: Players were given clear instructions not to contact any bookie or bookie.

ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU): Which keeps a strict vigil on the players, team and management so that crimes like match fixing do not happen again.

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Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who recently joined the Telangana Cabinet led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, was given the responsibility of Minister of Minority Welfare and Public Enterprises Department on Tuesday (November 4, 2025). State Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued an official order in this regard on Tuesday (November 4).

Before handing over the responsibility to Mohammad Azharuddin, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was in charge. Whereas Adluri Laxman Kumar was handling the charge of Minority Welfare Department.

Azharuddin took oath as minister last week

Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Friday (October 31, 2025) late last week. The number of ministers in the Telangana cabinet increased to 16 after the inclusion of Mohammed Azharuddin and still two posts are vacant because according to the number of assembly members, Telangana can have 18 ministers.

Congress made a big move before Jubilee Hills by-election

The appointment of the former cricketer to the post of minister is being considered an important step as the Congress party is trying hard to win the Jubilee Hills by-election to be held on Tuesday next week (November 11, 2025). It is believed that more than one lakh Muslim voters can play a decisive role in this seat.

B.R.S. By-election being held after the death of the MLA

Due to the death of main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA Maganti Gopinath in the month of June this year, it became necessary to hold by-election on Jubilee Hills assembly seat of the state. In the last week of August, the Telangana government had nominated Mohammad Azharuddin as Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota. However, Governor Jishnu Dev Verma has not yet approved this appointment. Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin had also tried his luck from Jubilee Hills Assembly seat during the Telangana Assembly elections of 2023, but he was unsuccessful then.

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Congress leader and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin took oath as minister. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administered him the oath. The Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had proposed to include Mohammad Azharuddin in the cabinet. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had expressed strong objection to this. BJP linked the decision to Jubilee Hills Bypoll and called it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

BJP’s Election Commission Affairs Committee Chairman Marri Sashidhar Reddy met Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudarshan Reddy. He had demanded to stop the swearing-in ceremony. BJP says that Azharuddin becoming a minister is an attempt to influence voters before the Jubilee Hills by-election. Marri Shashidhar Reddy said that Azharuddin is a voter of Jubilee Hills and was also a Congress candidate in 2023. In such a situation, this step is an attempt to sway the voters in favor of a particular class. This step of BJP is completely against the election code of conduct.

#WATCH Hyderabad, Telangana: Congress leader and former Cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin takes oath as Minister at Raj Bhavan. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administers the oath to him.

(Video Source: I&PR Telangana) pic.twitter.com/oGRIydcCVe

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2025

BJP cannot tolerate the success of minority leader

Congress gave a sharp reply to BJP’s allegations calling it communal politics. State Congress spokesperson and MP Chamla Kiran Kumar Reddy said that BJP cannot see a prominent minority leader coming into the cabinet. She is inciting communal sentiments in Jubilee Hills. Congress also accused BJP of making a secret agreement with Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) to prevent Congress from strengthening its secular image.

On the matter, Congress spokesperson Addanki Dayakar said that Azharuddin is the pride of the country. He made India proud on the cricket field. Making communal comments on him is extremely unfortunate. He reminded BJP that BJP itself had expanded the cabinet 20 days before the by-elections in Rajasthan. It was not considered a violation of the code of conduct at that time.

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Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who has hit sixes on the cricket pitch, is also seen hitting sixes on the political pitch. There is news that he will be included in the Telangana cabinet. He will take oath as minister on October 31.

Important decision during election period
The Congress government has taken the decision to include Azharuddin in the cabinet at the same time when by-elections are to be held in Jubilee Hills on November 11. The number of Muslim votes in this seat is quite high and it is believed that Azharuddin’s entry will strengthen the support of the minority community in favor of Congress.

Azharuddin had recently reached the Legislative Council
In August this year, Azharuddin was nominated as a Legislative Council member from the Governor quota. This nomination happened when the Supreme Court had canceled the two earlier nominations of Kodandaram and Aamir Ali Khan. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had included the names of both Kodandaram and Azharuddin in the revised list.

Trying to send a message to the Muslim community
Till now there was no Muslim minister in the Congress government. Because of this, the resentment of the minority community was visible from inside and outside the party. By making Azharuddin a minister, Congress has tried to give the message that it wants to give representation to all sections.

Revanth Reddy cabinet will now have 16 ministers
After Azharuddin’s inclusion, the number of ministers in Revanth Reddy cabinet will increase to 16. There can be a total of 18 members (including the Chief Minister) in the Telangana Council of Ministers. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was sworn in on December 7, 2023, when Congress defeated Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the elections. The first cabinet was formed on the same day, while the first expansion took place in June 2025, in which three new ministers were added.

Azharuddin is related to Jubilee Hills
Azharuddin had contested the 2023 assembly elections as a Congress candidate from Jubilee Hills seat, but lost to BRS’s Maganti Gopinath. By-election is being held on this seat after the death of Gopinath in June this year. Congress is trying its best to win this seat and it is believed that Azharuddin’s popularity can prove beneficial for the party.

Azharuddin’s journey in politics
Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin entered politics from Congress in 2009 and won the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh). In 2014, he contested the elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat of Rajasthan, but lost. In 2018, he was made the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and in 2023 he contested the assembly elections from Jubilee Hills.

In the history of Indian cricket, many legendary players have taken command of Team India in the ODI format. Some of these captains took the team to new heights with their leadership, while some had to taste the bitter taste of defeat during their tenure. While some captains are remembered for their strategy and calm nature in ODI, the defeats suffered by some remain a topic of discussion even today. Let us know about those top-5 Indian captains who lost the most ODI matches.

Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin’s name is counted among the most experienced captains in the history of Indian cricket. He captained India in 174 ODI matches, losing 76 and winning 90. Under the captaincy of Azharuddin in the 90s, India recorded many memorable victories, but the team’s performance on foreign soil remained unstable. He gave a new fitness and fielding approach to the team. At that time the team was going through transition, the effect of which was visible in many matches.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni may be counted among India’s most successful and World Cup winning captains, but statistics show that while captaining in 200 ODIs, he has lost 74 matches. Due to his long career and playing more matches, his name comes second in this list.

Sourav Ganguly

The era of Sourav Ganguly, popularly known as ‘Dada’, is considered to be the beginning of the aggressive era in Indian cricket. He captained India in 146 ODI matches, out of which 65 were lost. However, under his leadership, India stopped being afraid of foreign soil and achieved many memorable victories. Ganguly’s captaincy taught the team confidence and aggression.

Sachin Tendulkar

‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar had a brilliant career as a batsman, but his performance in terms of captaincy was not special. He took command of the team in 73 ODI matches, out of which 43 were defeated. The burden of captaincy also seemed to affect his batting performance.

Kapil Dev

The name of Kapil Dev, who won the 1983 World Cup for India, is also included in this list. He captained the Indian team in 74 ODI matches. It lost 33 matches and won 39. Under the captaincy of Kapil, India made its mark in the world of cricket, even though the number of their defeats was a bit high.

Indian National Congress has declared Naveen Yadav as the party candidate for the upcoming by-election from Jubilee Hills seat of Telangana Assembly. All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K. C. Venugopal has officially announced this on Wednesday (October 8, 2025).

The Congress party wrote in a statement, ‘Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Naveen Yadav for the by-election on Jubilee Hills Assembly seat of Telangana.’

Politics is heated regarding Jubilee Hills assembly seat

Politics is heated regarding the by-election of Jubilee Hills Assembly seat of Hyderabad because during the Assembly elections in the year 2023, the Congress Party had given ticket to Mohammad Azharuddin, who came to politics from the world of cricket. Who lost the election to Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) candidate Maganti Gopinath by more than 16 thousand votes.

Azharuddin was asking for ticket from Jubilee Hills

In 2023, Maganti Gopinath became MLA by winning the election from Jubilee Hills assembly seat. However, he died after some time. Since then this seat is vacant. At the same time, Azharuddin was once again demanding a ticket from the Congress Party for the by-election on Jubilee Hills seat. He says that the people of Jubilee Hills assembly constituency have always loved me a lot.

The former cricketer said, I got 64,000 votes in the last assembly elections. This shows people’s love for me. Winning and losing is part of life. This is my constituency.

Azharuddin, a veteran leader of the Congress Party and former captain of the Indian cricket team, had given this statement at a time when the ticket was not given by the Congress Party. After the announcement of the ticket, discord may be seen within the Congress.

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Most Win in ODI Cricket as a Captain: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is the highest winning captain in ODI cricket. However, the Top-7 list also includes another former Australian veteran captain Alan Border. Two former India’s veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin are also included in this list of captains who have won the most in ODI cricket. Surprisingly, veteran captains like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not named in this record list.

Top-7 captain who won the highest win in ODI cricket

1. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is ranked first in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 230 matches, in which Australia won 165 matches. Australia has won the ODI World Cup twice (2003 and 2007) under the captaincy of Ponting.
2. Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in second place in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He has captained 200 matches, out of which India won 110 matches. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
3. Former Australian veteran captain Alan Border is third in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 178 matches, in which Australia won 107 matches. Australia won the ODI World Cup in 1987 under the captaincy of the border.
4. Former South Africa captain Hansi Krony is in fourth place in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 138 matches, in which South Africa won 99 matches.
5. Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming is ranked fifth in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 218 matches, winning New Zealand in 98 matches.
6. Former South African veteran Graeme Smith is ranked sixth in the list of top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 150 matches, in which South Africa won 92 matches.
7. Former India veteran captain Mohammad Azharuddin is ranked seventh in the list of the top 7 captains who won the highest win in ODI cricket. He captained 174 matches, in which India won in 90 matches.

Yograj Singh is often in the discussion for his controversial statements. He is also known for speaking openly on any issue. He once again said something about Kapil Dev, which is being discussed. He questioned why the case of match fixing which was related to Kapil Dev was closed. He said that the reputation of many cricket giants can be hurt, if this matter is taken up again.

Yograj Singh is the father of former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who also runs a Cricket Academy. Some time ago, he said in an interview that he had once abused Kapil Dev, alleging that Kapil Dev ruined his career.

According to the report, this case is of 1997, when Manoj Prabhakar accused Kapil Dev of giving money to play poorly. The CBI started investigating that, after investigation, the CBI did not find any concrete evidence against Kapil Dev and freed him from all the allegations in 2000.

What did Yograj Singh say

Now Yograj Singh has alleged that this case was closed so that big players like Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin could be saved. Talking to Insidsport, he said, “Ask all the journalists where the match-fixing file was in the Supreme Court? Who were involved in the match fixing? Kapil Dev’s name was first involved, then Azharuddin and many more players. Why that file was closed and then why many of the veterans were cut off.”

He also accused MS Dhoni, Bishan Singh Bedi that he did not treat the players well. This statement came when an old video of Irfan Pathan went viral, in which he said that he did not make a hookah for anyone, so he could not make a place in the team.

Yograj Singh’s cricket career

According to ESPN Cricinfo, Yograj Singh played 1 Test for India, 30 first class matches and 13 List A matches for India. In 1 Test, he scored 10 runs and took 1 wicket. He has 4 wickets in 6 ODIs.