The Indian Premier League has always produced entertainment since its inception in 2008, with some super exciting cricket. But the aggressive mode of the cash-rich T20 league sometimes goes beyond the spirit of the game.
While most play the tournament with great sportsmanship, there are some players who have been involved in disciplinary issues over the years. The on-field aggression sometimes takes control of the person and leads to unwarranted incidents.
As the ninth edition of the tournament is reaching the business end we take a look at five cricketers who have had disciplinary issues in the IPL over the years.
1) Gautam Gambhir
The current Kolkata knight Riders captain is known for his aggressive nature on the field, and the hot-headed batsman from Delhi had previously been criticised widely for that. When it comes to disciplinary issues in the IPL the name of Gautam Gambhir can’t be ignored.
Calling the left-handed batsman a serial offender will not be an over-statement, as he has been involved in several unpleasant incidents. Back in 2013, he collided with another hot-blooded cricket Virat Kohli after the latter got out following two huge sixes. The two batsmen got into an ugly spat which was recorded as a Level One offence.
In this year’s IPL the 34-year-old also stirred up controversy in KKR's matches against RCB with his rash on-field behaviour. First, Gambhir was fined 15% of his match fees for kicking a chair in the dug-out while KKR were inching towards a victory. Then in the return leg, the KKR captain threw the ball towards Virat Kohli, who had already completed the run.
This incident prompted the umpire to snatch the ball from the bowler, which in turn led to an altercation between Gambhir and the on-field match officials. Interestingly, all these incidents were against The Royal Challengers Bangalore.
2) Harbhajan Singh
The Indian off-spinner is one of the most fascinating characters in cricket with his sheer aggression and intensity on the field. The name of Harbhajan Singh is also quite synonymous when it comes to on-field controversies. Over the years, he has had a number of heated on-field moments in his career.
In the inaugural edition of the IPL, the Punjab-born cricketer allegedly went a step too far when he slapped his national teammate S. Sreesanth after a match between the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. The incident created such a furore that it needed a judicial probe to be resolved.
In this year’s IPL, the 35-year-old also produced some moments of controversy during the Mumbai Indians’ match against newcomers Rising Pune Supergiants at Pune. Mumbai’s ordinary fielding had helped Pune to get off to a flying start, and in Harbhajan’s second over Ambati Rayudu couldn’t save a certain boundary despite putting in a dive, which irked the bowler.
Harbhajan gestured with his hands to the fielder and yelled at him, which prompted the fielder to charge towards the spinner. It was very evident that Rayudu wasn’t pleased with the behaviour of the senior. However, this time, the issue was limited to a verbal battle.
3) Virat Kohli
The Indian superstar is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen in the world currently. The aggressive right-hander’s intensity, commitment and aggression are the main reasons behind his tremendous success. But this hot-blooded maestro sometimes gets involved in on-field tussles as well.
The 27-year-old is batting like a dream for the past 18 months or so, and his consistency is not only limited to batting – he gives his 100% every time he enters the field. His aggression is his motivation, and that occasionally leads to issues.
The Delhi-born cricketer infamously got involved in a heated exchange with his national and domestic teammate Gautam Gambhir during the 2013 edition of the IPL. Both the cricketers used foul language at each during the incident other and later accepted a Level one offence.
The star Indian batsman also has a knack of singing some unpleasant tunes on the field, especially while fielding. His exuberant celebrations often ruffle the feathers of the departing batsmen, as seen during RCB’s playoff match against the Gujarat Lions. He has also argued with the on-field umpires several times in the IPL.
4) Kieron Pollard
The big West Indian has been another repeat offender in the IPL. The 29-year-old cricketer from Trinidad is known for his big-hitting ability and colourful on-field behaviour. The Mumbai Indians player's aggressive attitude has led him to be involved in some of the biggest and ugliest fights in IPL history.
In 2013, Mumbai Indians were playing against the Rajasthan Royals, where Pollard uttered a few words to Australian all-rounder Shane Watson who had come in to bat. Pollard continued to rant at the batsman after which the on-field umpires called the Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma to resolve the situation.
However, the battle between these two aggressive all-rounders continued even after the departure of the Australian. While sitting in the dug-out, Watson also gave back a mouthful to Pollard who was fielding in front of him. This was perhaps the longest running altercation in IPL history.
The Trinidadian went a step further in the 2014 edition of the cash-rich league when he got involved in a heated on-field exchange with yet another Aussie, Mitchell Starc. The Australian bowled a bouncer and uttered some words to the big-hitting West Indian. The very next ball, when Starc continued with his delivery despite Pollard having pulled out from his stance, and things got ugly.
Pollard ran towards the bowler and violently threw his bat at him, which left the Australian in shock. Though he did not hit Starc with his bat, the whole incident is remembered as one of the most unpleasant moments from the tournament.
5) Shane Watson
The Australian is one of the most successful all-rounders in IPL history. However, Shane Watson is known for some other aspects too, which don’t exactly go with the spirit of the game. The aggressive cricketer has a tendency to lose his cool on the field.
The Queensland-born cricketer has been involved in numerous on-field scuffles at the international level and in domestic T20 leagues, and the IPL hasn’t been an exception. His long lasting feud with West Indian Kieron Pollard during IPL 2013 is known as the one of the longest on-field rifts in the history of the tournament.
The 34-year-old is extremely expressive with his emotions on the field and banks on his aggression to intimidate the opposition. However, over time Watson has toned his on-field aggression down and lets his cricketing skills do most of the talking.
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