Virat Kohli raising his middle finger at taunting fans, David Warner in tears at a press conference, Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth (Pic: AFP/PTI)
R Ashwin’s Mankading of Jos Buttler in the 2019 IPL remains one of the most talked-about incidents in modern cricket. During a heated match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, Ashwin, noticing Buttler had left the crease before the ball was bowled, removed the bails at the non-striker’s end. While fully within the rules, the act sparked widespread controversy. Ashwin was accused of unsportsmanlike conduct, but he stood firm amidst the backlash. The Mankading debate became a defining moment in his career.
Imran Khan, the former Pakistan cricket captain, won a libel case in London in 1996 against England cricketers Ian Botham and Allan Lamb, who had accused him of calling them "uneducated racists" and of ball-tampering. The court ruled in Imran's favor, and Botham and Lamb were ordered to cover court costs amounting to 500,000 euros.
In the 3rd ODI of Pakistan’s 2007 tour of India, a notable altercation took place in the 19th over between Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi. Gambhir, struggling to score freely, hit a boundary off Afridi, who responded with sledging. Gambhir retorted, and later, during a turned-down LBW appeal, the two collided as Gambhir ran for a quick single. This led to a heated exchange, further escalating the tension between the two players.
Angelo Mathews became the first cricketer in international cricket to be timed out, after Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed for the dismissal during a World Cup match. Mathews had noticed his helmet strap was broken and signaled for a replacement, delaying his face-off with Shakib. Bangladesh then appealed for a 'time out'. Mathews engaged in an animated discussion with the umpires and Shakib, who refused to withdraw his appeal, leading to Mathews' forced exit. Furious, Mathews smashed his helmet on the boundary line in disgust. However, later, Mathews had the perfect payback, dismissing Shakib and sarcastically gesturing “time to go” with a smile.
In a 2013 IPL match, a fiery clash took place between Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Gautam Gambhir and Royal Challengers Bangalore's captain Virat Kohli. After Kohli was dismissed, caught by Eoin Morgan off Laxmipati Balaji’s bowling, he exchanged words with Gambhir while walking back to the pavilion.
In 2008, after Kings XI Punjab's victory over Mumbai Indians at Mohali, Sreesanth was slapped by Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh. The incident became public when TV cameras caught Sreesanth sobbing inconsolably on the field before the presentation ceremony. Although Sreesanth later downplayed the incident, calling Harbhajan 'like an elder brother', reports indicated that Harbhajan reacted violently after Sreesanth tried to console him by saying 'hard luck'. The IPL banned Harbhajan for the remainder of the tournament and withheld his salary, while the BCCI launched a separate investigation into the incident.
A massive controversy erupted during India's opening Women’s T20 World Cup game against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium when Amelia Kerr was controversially called back despite being run out by Harmanpreet Kaur. The umpires' decision left the India captain and coaches furious, resulting in a heated argument and a delay in the match.
The Monkeygate scandal, one of the most infamous moments in Test cricket, involved a tense confrontation between India’s Harbhajan Singh and Australia’s late all-rounder Andrew Symonds. After hitting a boundary off Brett Lee, Harbhajan reportedly patted Lee’s back and said 'hard luck'. Symonds, offended, responded, leading to an exchange of words. This was followed by a complaint from the Australian team, alleging that Harbhajan had made a racist remark, calling Symonds a 'monkey'. The incident escalated with umpire Mark Benson's intervention, and Harbhajan was later found guilty of making the comment.
During the 2012 tour of Australia, Virat Kohli was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for making an obscene gesture to fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the second Test. Kohli, provoked by taunts from the crowd, raised his middle finger in retaliation. Though he pleaded guilty, Kohli claimed the crowd had crossed the line with their insults. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle found Kohli guilty of a Level 2 offense under the ICC code of conduct.
David Warner’s involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal during a Test against South Africa shocked the cricket world. Warner was found to have instructed Cameron Bancroft to use sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball, leading to a one-year ban for Warner and his teammates, Steve Smith and Bancroft.
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