‘False and defamatory’: CSK’s Vansh Bedi says he is not the unnamed player in the stabbing controversy

Photo Credit: Vansh Bedi Instagram Account NEW DELHI: Delhi wicketkeeper-batsman Vansh Bedi has denied any link to the sting operation controversy that alleged misuse of confidential team information in Indian cricket, saying attempts to link him to the case are “false and defamatory”.Bedi, who was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad during IPL 2025 and later played for Central Delhi Kings in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), broke his silence on Tuesday after his name started doing rounds on social media following an undercover investigation into former domestic cricketer Rachita Bhatia.In a statement posted on Instagram, Bedi said he was not the unnamed CSK player mentioned during the sting operation and had no involvement in the allegations leveled by Bhatia.“I categorically state that I am not the individual referred to by former Ranji Trophy cricketer Rachit Bhatia in the alleged match-fixing operation involving a CSK player, nor am I involved in any such activity,” Bedi wrote.He also said any attempt to link him to the allegations was defamatory and that his legal team had launched a lawsuit.Bedi said his lawyers were taking “appropriate civil and criminal action” against those responsible for spreading the claims.The original undercover investigation did not identify Bedi as the player who allegedly gave confidential information to Bhatia. However, his name later started circulating on the Internet.Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) also responded to media reports of alleged corruption in the Delhi Premier League, calling the allegations “unverified”.“The DDCA would like to clarify that the allegations made in these reports are unverified and have not been established by any competent authority. The association believes that it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about any individual, player or franchise based solely on such allegations,” the DDCA said in a statement.“Given the seriousness of the matter, the DDCA has written to the relevant authorities sharing the information it has come to know and has requested that the matter be investigated through the relevant processes in place.”