![One of New Zealand's T20 WC matches is under ICC investigation [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1776396764752_T20WorldCup2026fixingICC.jpg?type=hq)
One of New Zealand's T20 WC matches is under ICC investigation [Source: AFP]
In a shocking development, the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has launched a probe into one of the high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 matches, suspecting corrupt practices from a certain participating team.
The T20 World Cup 2026 was hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian team emerged victorious in the final, defeating New Zealand in a one-sided contest.
Despite losing the final, the New Zealand team earned massive applause for its heroics in the group stage and Super 8 stage of the tournament.
However, after the BlackCaps finished the tournament as the runners-up, one of their group-stage matches grabbed the attention of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) due to suspicious activities related to match-fixing.
Cricket Canada under ICC investigation for dubious T20 World Cup act
The Canada cricket team was placed in Group D alongside South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Led by Dilpreet Bajwa, Canada lost to South Africa and the UAE before taking on New Zealand in their third group-stage match of the competition.
While the BlackCaps comfortably swatted aside their counterparts by eight wickets, an over by the Canada captain, Dilpreet Bajwa, grabbed the attention of the ICC ACU due to dubious activities.
Batting first, Canada had posted a formidable score of 173 runs, riding on a sensational century from young opener Yuvraj Samra. In response, the BlackCaps had the worst possible start, losing their in-form openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen cheaply in quick succession.
Although it was the perfect time for Canada to claim the driving seat and boss the game, captain Dilpreet Bajwa, who isn't even a regular bowler, came to bowl the fifth over of the powerplay.
Also Read: Canada's Yuvraj Samra Adopts Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Coach As His Guru
As he is a part-timer, the New Zealand batters feasted on his bowling and collected 15 runs off his over. Overall, Bajwa bowled two overs in the game, conceding 26 runs and going wicketless in the match.
Earlier, he had also played a really sluggish knock, taking 39 balls to score 36 runs on an absolutely flat batting deck. His underperformance eventually linked him to match-fixing, and the ICC ACU finally launched an investigation into the matter.
How did ICC come to know about the scandal?
A Canadian investigative documentary programme, The Fifth Estate, recently produced a documentary 'Corruption, Crime and Cricket', exposing the corrupt practices related to fixing by Canadian cricketers at the domestic as well as international level.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the ICC ACU smelled something fishy in the Canada vs New Zealand match after the documentary highlighted the suspicious incident.
Dilpreet Bajwa's wild-card entry hints grass-root corruption in Cricket Canada
Notably, Dilpreet Bajwa was appointed as the captain of the Canada cricket team only three weeks before the T20 World Cup 2026.
While his dramatic entry into the Canada leadership group raises serious questions about integrity, a one-year-old call recording of former Canada coach Khurram Chohan hints at corruption and administrative malpractice by the cricket board.
In the recording, Chohan revealed how he was told to select specific players in the team, raising questions about whether those players were directly linked to bookies.
The matter, which surfaced last year, is under investigation, and the ICC ACU may impose serious sanctions on Canada Cricket if it finds the board guilty of corruption.
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