The Madurai bench of Madras High Court issued legal notices to Indian team captain Virat Kohli and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly for their involvement in online sports app advertisements.

The notices were issued by a bench consisting of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi to a number of celebrities, including Prakash Raj, Tammana, Rana Daggubati and Sudip Khan, as well. Advocate Mohammed Rizvi registered the case after several people in the state died by suicide after becoming depressed over losing money in those apps to play matches. "The apps are in the name of IPL teams such as Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and some apps are also in the name of state’s names. Are these teams playing on behalf of the state?" the bench reportedly asked. The fantasy sports platforms have witnessed massive engagement since the onset of the Indian Premier League 2020. The petition by the lawyer claimed that addiction to gambling is dangerous and violates Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

While IPL 2020's title sponsors Dream11 is endorsed by MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and other national players, a fantasy app called My11Circle is endorsed by Sourav Ganguly and a sports platform called MPL is endorsed by Virat Kohli. The matter will be listed at Madras High Court on November 19.