Explained: What is the match fixing scandal that has rocked cricketing world?

The ICC T20 World Cup is making headlines again more than a month after it concluded with a dominant Indian victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad. The 10th edition of ICC's showpiece T20 event had largely gone off without a hitch despite concerns surrounding Pakistan's participation due to strained relations with India.

And while Bangladesh's last-minute exit from the tournament for refusing to travel to India did leave a bad taste in the mouth, the tournament was seen as a massive success with matches -- including and especially those involving Associate nations – witnessing a higher turnout than ever.

A recent documentary on potential corruption in the group-stage match between Canada and New Zealand, however, has cast a shadow over the tournament more than a month later.

More from Firstcricket

Here's everything you need to know about the T20 World Cup match-fixing scandal which has the potential to develop into one of the biggest controversies in the history of the sport.

Why is Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa under investigation? 

Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa finds himself under the scanner of the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit after a documentary by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation titled "Corruption, Crime and Cricket" – aired on Friday – shed light on corrupt activities at the recent T20 World Cup.

The focus of the documentary was Canada's third Group D fixture, against New Zealand at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, 17 February. The Canadians had posted a respectable 173/4 on the board after opting to bat thanks to opener Yuvraj Samra's 65-ball 110.

Dilpreet Bajwa was appointed Canada's captain for the T20 World Cup 2026 just three weeks before the tournament. AFP

The Kiwis, who would go on to reach the final after thrashing South Africa in the semis, ended up chasing the target down with eight wickets and nearly five overs to spare despite losing their openers early, thanks to an unbroken 146-run stand between Glenn Phillips (76 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (59 not out).

Spin-bowling all-rounder Bajwa, who originally hails from Gurdaspur in Punjab and was named the team's captain just three weeks before the tournament, raised suspicion over his approach with bat as well as with ball. During his 116-run opening partnership with Samra, the 23-year-old had scored 36 off 39 deliveries

More suspicious was the fifth over of New Zealand's chase that he had bowled, with the off-spinner leaking 15 runs after the Mitchell Santner-led side had found themselves under pressure after getting reduced to 35/2. Bajwa began the over with a no-ball in the first delivery, and followed it with a wide down the leg side two balls later.

Besides his underwhelming performances with bat and ball, the Canadian captain had also aided New Zealand's chase with a misfield.

The documentary, however, suggests that it's the fifth over of the New Zealand that is under primary investigation for now.

Canada ended up bowing out of the tournament without winning a single game, suffering a 57-run thrashing at the hands of South Africa in their tournament opener in Ahmedabad that was followed by a five-wicket loss against UAE in Delhi. They lost to Afghanistan by 82 runs in Chennai in what was the final game of the tournament for both teams.