Shikhar Dhawan (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan appeared for questioning before ED here on Thursday in connection with his alleged endorsement of 1xBet app, an online betting platform.Earlier, another cricketer Suresh Raina was questioned by ED on Aug 13 in a case linked to the same betting app. Sources claimed the two cricketers had received money in return for endorsing the illegal online platform knowing that betting is illegal in India.“Investigation is related to the promoters and their associates who are running these illegal online betting apps, and to know about their contact details in India,” a senior official said. The mode of payments and accounts used to transfer money are some of the information the agency has sought from the cricketers.India is one of the most popular destinations for illegal online betting with an estimated 11 crore regular users and thousands of crores of rupees in transactions. Since 2022, govt has blocked over 1,500 such illegal betting apps, and even questioned officials of Google and Meta related to promotion of these apps on their platforms.Many film stars from South India have also been questioned in connection with their endorsement of illegal betting apps.