The glitz and glamour of the Indian Premier League (IPL) isn't without its blemishes. Since IPL's inception in 2008, the tournament has had its fair share of controversies over the years. These are incidents that cricket fans would much rather forget. Let's walk down the memory lane and take you through two such controversial tales which is still etched in everyone's memories.
When Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth
One incident that still stands out as a major black mark is the altercation between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth in the IPL's inaugural season back in 2008. This on-field clash occurred during a match between Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Harbhajan, leading Mumbai in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, slapped Sreesanth after the match. Images of a distraught Sreesanth crying on the field became etched in fans' memories. Reports suggest that the confrontation stemmed from comments exchanged during the post-match handshake, with Harbhajan taking offense to Sreesanth's remarks. This ugly incident cast a shadow over the young IPL and highlighted the need for stricter player conduct regulations within the league.
However, Sreesanth later downplayed the incident, claiming he held no grudge against Harbhajan, even going so far as to call him an elder brother.
Despite Sreesanth's comments, the IPL took a strong stance. Harbhajan was banned for the remaining matches of the IPL 2008, and the league even withheld his salary due to finding him culpable for the altercation.
Later, Harbhajan while recollecting the incident felt sorry for what his demeanour towards Sreesanth.
“What happened was wrong. I made a mistake. Because of me, my teammate had to face embarrassment. I was embarrassed. If I had to correct one mistake, it was how I treated Sreesanth on the field. It should not have happened. When I think about it, I feel there was no need,” Harbhajan had earlier said during one of his interviews.
When Yuzvendra Chahal revealed he was dangled from 15th floor of team's hotel
Another incident sent chill up everyone's spines when now Rajasthan Royals' ace spinner Yuzvendra Chahal revealed he was dangled from the team hotel's 15th floor by one of his teammates during IPL 2013. Couple of years back in Rajasthan Royals' YouTube show ‘Cricket Tales’ Chahal shared a disturbing incident from his early IPL career. Chahal recounted a terrifying incident from a 2013 IPL post-match party, when he was associated with the Mumbai Indians. He alleged a player, who was apparently intoxicated, put Chahal in serious danger by dangling him from the balcony of their 15th-floor hotel room in Bengaluru.
"This dates back to 2013 when I was with Mumbai Indians. We had a match in Bengaluru. There was a get together after that. So there was a player who was very drunk. I won't take his name. He was very drunk, he was looking at me for a long time and he just called me and he took me outside and he hung me on the balcony. My hands were around him like this (shows the way of his grip). Had I lost my grip, I was on the 15th floor. Suddenly many people who were there came and handled the situation. I kind of fainted, they gave me water. Then I realized how responsible we need to be when we go anywhere," Chahal had said during the show.
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