Rohit Sharma from RCB recently found himself embroiled in one of many IPL controversies that continue to draw headlines today. Here are five such notable incidents from years gone by.
Impact Player Rule
Just ahead of the mega auction last December, Indian Premier League (IPL) officials revealed their new Impact Player rule, sparking widespread excitement across cricket circles and inspiring analysts to declare it could be game-changer for their cash-rich league.
Under this rule, captains can now alter their team composition after winning the coin toss, breaking convention and optimizing resources to bat or bowl first. It also permits them to bring in replacement players during any stoppage such as end of an over, fall of wicket or start of innings.
However, teams can only employ one Impact Player per match, and they must bowl no more than four overs during that match. This ensures teams don't use this provision to use multiple Impact Players at the same time and create an imbalance of power between batsmen and bowlers during a match.
The Dismissal That Had the World Talking
Mumbai Indians have recovered well after an initially slow start and now lead the points table. Rajasthan Royals also appear to be performing strongly early in this tournament.
IPL 2023 got underway with an exciting match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT), leaving fans eager to witness how the new "Impact Player Rule" would unfold.
One moment from the GT-CSK match that resonated with cricket fans was Amit Mishra unwittingly applying saliva to his ball, an act that was captured on video and quickly went viral across social media platforms.
This incident caused outrage among fans and former players alike. Critics criticized both players for their on-field behaviour; one former GM of BCCI even went so far as to say such actions damage its image, calling on it to take strong actions against similar incidents in order to ensure its legacy lives on.
RCB’s Slow Over-Rate
RCB were found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate against Rajasthan Royals, leading to their second offense this season and earning Virat Kohli a Rs 24 lakh fine for this offence. Under new rules, teams are penalised if it takes more than 80 minutes to bowl 20 overs; overrate calculations are determined using an average from 15 overs bowled.
Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell hit fiery half-centuries to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) post an imposing total of 189/9. Unfortunately, their bowling performance in the death overs was disappointing with Mohammed Siraj not doing much with the ball. IPL matches require teams to complete their innings within 90 minutes which includes 85 minutes of play plus two strategic timeouts of five minutes each; umpire reviews or DRS review time is excluded from this count. Any team sustaining a slow overrate for three consecutive innings will incur one match ban and heavy fine.
RCB’s Heated Altercation with LSG
Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir of LSG's coaching staff had to be separated by teammates and an umpire after their 18-run win against RCB at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Kohli began by celebrating aggressively after one of RCB wicket fell as they attempted to defend a low total of 127. Perhaps Kohli's actions were in reaction to Gautam Gambhir's silent taunt of Bangalore fans during their earlier match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
As soon as they walked off the field, Kohli and Gambhir began exchanging heated words. Their disagreement extended even into ceremonial end-of-match handshakes where Amit Mishra attempted to be peacemaker; unfortunately it failed when Kohli charged towards Gambhir; Gambhir then pushed back at Kohli leading them both to be fined 100 per cent of their match fees while Naveen-ul-Haq also had to cough up 50 per cent.
