The Indian Premier League is nearing its climax. Three teams – Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Punjab Kings – have secured playoff spots. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians are vying for the fourth spot.
A recent match between Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad saw a heated argument between Digvijay Singh Rathi and Abhishek Sharma. Cricket is known as a gentleman’s game, but sometimes players lose their cool.
Let’s look at five notable disputes in IPL history.
In 2019, MS Dhoni was fined 50% of his match fee for arguing with an umpire. He walked onto the field to dispute a call, showing a rare glimpse of anger.
Another incident involved KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan, who got into a fight with a guard at Wankhede Stadium.
Now, let’s dive into the top 5 most controversial fights in IPL history.
1. Kieron Pollard vs Mitchell Starc: In 2014, these two players had a heated exchange. Starc threw a bouncer at Pollard, who responded by tossing his bat in Starc’s direction. Both players were fined – Pollard lost 75% of his match fee, while Starc lost 50%.
2. Virat Kohli vs Gautam Gambhir: These two captains clashed in 2013. Kohli, then the RCB captain, and Gambhir, the KKR captain, got into a war of words. The incident started when Gambhir apparently said something to Kohli as he was walking off the field. Kohli stopped and asked Gambhir what he had said, leading to a heated argument.
As one Twitter user recalled: “Remember the 2013 face-off between Kohli and Gambhir! Kohli tried to be the hero, but Gambhir humbled him.”
3. Harbhajan Singh vs S Sreesanth: In 2008, Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth during a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. Sreesanth was seen crying on the field. Harbhajan was banned for 11 matches and fined. Years later, he admitted that he shouldn’t have done it.
4. Virat Kohli vs Naveen Ul Haq: In 2023, these two players clashed during a match between RCB and LSG. The incident started when Kohli made a gesture towards Naveen, who had earlier clashed with another player.
As one tweet noted: “Virat Kohli & Gautam Gambhir have been fined 100% of match fees and Naveen Ul Haq has been fined 50% of match fees for breaching IPL code of conduct.”
5. Digvijay Singh Rathi vs Abhishek Sharma: In a 2025 match between LSG and SRH, Rathi and Sharma got into a heated argument. Rathi had celebrated a wicket with his signature “notebook” style, which Sharma took issue with. The two players exchanged words, with Sharma gesturing to Rathi to leave. The BCCI fined Rathi and suspended him for a match. Sharma was also fined.