Fake IPL tournament – the perfect plan gone wrong

And the Oscar goes to a gang of conmen, using mostly Indian farmers acting as cricketers in a fake Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

The plot: a group of imposters dupe Russian punters into a betting scam – just three weeks after the real IPL was concluded.

The scene: a farm in a small village in Mehsana in the western state of Gujarat is leased.

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A cricket pitch, with boundary lines and halogen lamps, is installed.

The method: high resolution cameras and computer generated graphics to display scores on a live streaming screen are used.

The conmen, using walkie-talkies, alert the “umpire” to signal the bowler and batsman to hit a six, four or get out, depending on what was being bet.

The cast: umpires are employed and the farm labourers take turns dressed up in the kits of the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.

The cameraman makes sure the entire ground is not shown, focusing mainly on close-ups of the so-called players.

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The cost: labourers and unemployed youths hired for 400 rupees per game.

But wait, there’s more … Just in case the Russian punters have not bought into it, add some crowd noise sound effects and the voice of someone mimicking popular commentator Harsha Bhogle – and the stage is set.

The perfect plan until local police bust the entire operation and arrested four people. It’s just not cricket…