Daily Times

NEW DELHI: One day after being summoned by police for questioning in a match-fixing probe, former Indian Test bowler Abhimanyu Mithun settled a game by taking five wickets in one over. The 30-year-old is still playing first-class cricket whilst under investigation over corruption and fixing in the scandal-ridden Karnataka Premier League (KPL). Joint commissioner of police Sandeep Patil told Indian media on Friday that Mithun, who played the last of his four Tests for India in 2011, had been summoned for questioning by the Central Crime Branch. A day later, Mithun lit the fireworks playing for his state side Karnataka against Haryana in a 20-over tournament. The right arm fast bowler took a hat-trick and two other wickets in a seven-ball over. Five wickets in an over is extremely rare in the first-class game. “You don’t plan these things but it’s like a dream come true,” Mithun said after his team’s eight-wicket win to take them into the tournament final on Sunday. “I have worked really hard in the off-season, so I am reaping fruits for all the hard work,” he added, without mentioning his legal troubles.

The T20 Karnataka Premier League is at the centre of a growing spot-fixing scandal that has seen the arrests of players and owners. Earlier this month, two former Indian Premier League players C.M. Gautam and Abrar Kazi were arrested for allegedly accepting $28,000 each for “slow batting” in this year’s tournament final.