Former Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan was seen leaving the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Mumbai after being questioned by the officers on September 4, Thursday. News agency PTI released a video of the same on social media as Dhawan was seen sitting in his black car and also posed for a photo.
The questioning by ED of Dhawan relates to the betting app named 1xBet, something that Dhawan has allegedly been promoting. According to media reports, the retired cricketer's statement will be recorded under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of the authorities' investigation process.
Notably, the Indian government had banned real-money online gaming by introducing a legislation recently. The legislation from the Indian government saw Dream11 relinquish its position as Indian men's team's lead jersey sponsor.
Ex-Indian batter Suresh Raina had also been questioned by ED in Delhi quite recently, with several digital platforms coming under the scanner. The authorities have cracked down on these platforms due to accusations of defrauding lakhs of people and investors of their hard-earned money. Hence, investigation is also being carried on regarding the role of cricketers and celebrities on this matter.
Shikhar Dhawan played in 167 ODIs, 34 Tests and 68 T20Is
As far as Dhawan's international career goes, he plied his trade for India in 167 ODIs, 34 Tests and 68 T20Is from 2010 to 2022. The 50-over format was arguably his strongest suit as he clattered 6793 ODI runs at 44.11 with 17 hundreds. He forged a strong opening stand with Rohit Sharma and was part of India's squad that won the Champions Trophy in 2013.
The southpaw experienced a sharp dip in form in late 2022 and couldn't find his way back into the side, especially with Shubman Gill's rapid emergence. He retired from all forms of cricket last year.
