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New Delhi: In a shocking twist in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 ‘fixing scandal’ involving the Canadian cricket team, a report has claimed that Lawrence Bishnoi had a direct hand in influencing the group stage match between Canada and New Zealand.

Amidst ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation of Canada’s captain, Dilpreet Bajwa, whose bowling spell against the Kiwis came under the scanner, the chilling revelation has opened another angle of the probe. The ACU has already questioned Bajwa and searched his mobile phone amid growing suspicions.

According to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the Lawrence Bishnoi group, designated a terrorist organisation in Canada, is linked to the alleged fixing scandal. The report alleges that the gang is responsible for Bajwa’s sudden rise to the captaincy.

The CBC source stated: “Last July (2025), around 25 cricketers, fresh off a win at a major provincial tournament, gathered at a restaurant in Surrey, British Columbia. Two players from the tournament approached a table where a star of Canada’s national men’s team was dining. They claimed to represent the Bishnoi gang and threatened the player, stating that if he did not support the promotion of Dilpreet Bajwa and another young player, he and his family would face dire consequences.”

The report claims a person referred to as ‘Noah’ was allegedly threatened by the gang as part of their attempt to establish specific figures in positions of power in the team and in the national cricket board.

Bajwa’s appointment as captain just weeks before the 2026 T20 World Cup has been referred to as a prime example of the gang’s efforts to influence the proceedings in Canada’s cricket ecosystem. It is alleged that the gang threatened the players and administrators to ensure Bajwa’s place in the squad and his promotion as the captain.

“I opposed it, and within 40 minutes I received a message from the same number that terrified me because it contained a picture,” Noah was quoted as saying.

The CBC report also mentioned the alleged links of Cricket Canada president, Arvinder Khosa, to the T20 WC scandal, citing his alleged connections to the gang. Khosa, whose rise in Canadian cricket has also raised eyebrows, has denied these allegations, describing them as politically motivated attempts to ruin his reputation.

Khosa allegedly was part of the faction that put forward Bajwa’s name for the captaincy, even before his stint as the CC president began. “I personally feel they wanted to fix matches to make money. That is why they wanted him in power,” Noah said. “What other reason could there be for them to go to such lengths to make him captain?”

The report also claims that former Canada coach Khurram Chohan, during his stint, was asked to fix portions of matches by then-president Amjad Bajwa, CEO Salman Khan, and board member Rana Imran.