NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the controversial online betting app 1xBet.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!According to officials, the 39-year-old former India opener entered the ED’s central Delhi office around 11 am, where his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency is probing the financial trails of the app, which is accused of duping users of crores of rupees and evading large amounts in taxes.Watch:Shikhar Dhawan entering ED office in DelhiDhawan, who retired from international cricket last year, is understood to have been linked to 1xBet through endorsements. Investigators are examining whether such promotional activities indirectly abetted the expansion of the platform in India, where real-money betting is prohibited.This development follows the questioning of another former India cricketer, Suresh Raina, who appeared before the ED last month in the same case. Actor Rana Daggubati also deposed before the agency in Hyderabad in July, after seeking a brief deferment due to film commitments.
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Earlier in May, the Telangana Police booked 25 celebrities, including actors Prakash Raj, Manchu Lakshmi, and Nidhi Agarwal, for alleged betting promotions. Most of them denied wrongdoing, insisting their endorsements were restricted to jurisdictions where online skill-based gaming is legal.The probe has gained momentum against the backdrop of a nationwide crackdown on illegal betting platforms. According to official estimates, India has around 22 crore users of such platforms, with nearly half of them being regular players. Experts value the Indian online betting market at over USD 100 billion, growing at nearly 30 percent annually. The government told Parliament recently that 1,524 blocking orders had been issued against online betting and gambling platforms between 2022 and June 2025.The case has also drawn comparisons with the high-profile Mahadev betting scandal of 2023–24, which implicated politicians and entertainers alike. Officials indicated that Dhawan’s questioning marks another step in the widening inquiry, with more high-profile summonses expected in the weeks ahead.
