The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been inundated with over 3,000 applications for the position of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. However, according to sources familiar with the matter, many of these applications are under false identities, including names of prominent figures such as Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Sachin Tendulkar, and MS Dhoni.
With the application deadline closing on Monday (May 27), reports indicate that the BCCI has received numerous submissions under the names of cricketing icons such as Tendulkar, Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag, along with several other former players. Additionally, the list includes notable political figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Since May 13, when the BCCI initiated the application process for the position through Google Forms, there has been a continuous influx of fake applicants. However, it remains uncertain whether any genuine candidates have submitted applications expressing legitimate interest in the role.
The issue of fake applicants is not new to the Indian cricket board. In 2022, when the BCCI called for applications for the head coach position, they encountered a similar situation, with approximately 5,000 applications submitted under celebrity names. During that period, the BCCI requested interested candidates to mail their applications. In contrast, for the current recruitment drive, the board opted for Google Forms as the application platform.
