IPL 2019: 3 most controversial moments of the season
The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League was a blockbuster, hit with loads of entertainment to the fans. Unlike previous seasons, it wasn’t dominated by any team in particular. It was a season where almost every team had a chance to make it to the playoffs at the fag end of the league stage. It all came down to who handled the pressure better. The competition was so close that it all came down to two runs in one ball in the final. Lasith Malinga trapped Shardul Thakur with a beautiful slower one, thus winning them their 4th title in seven years.
Apart from brilliant performances, there were instances where it seemed that the ‘Spirit of the Game’ was let down at some point. Along with this, umpiring was a major concern as it affected the outcome of a match on several occasions that led to controversies. Dhoni's run out in the finals between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians is one such moment.
Let us take a look at the three most controversial moments in 2019 IPL:
#1. The ‘Mankading’ incident involving Ashwin and Buttler:
It all started in the match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. Punjab batted first and put on 184 runs on the board. Chasing this, RR got off to a flyer scoring 78 runs in 8 overs before Ajinkya Rahane departed. But the key player for RR, Jos Buttler was striking well and it seemed that the game was going in the host’s way. It was the penultimate ball of the 13th over which R Ashwin was bowling. Ashwin started his short run-up, ut stopped in the middle to dislodge the bail as Buttler was out of the crease. In accordance with the cricketing rules, the non-striker cannot leave the crease until and unless the ball is delivered. So, Buttler was sent back to the pavilion, thereby becoming the first victim of ‘Mankading’ in IPL history. This created a lot of reaction and fuss from both sides. While some defended Ashwin’s action as a bowler, others criticized him for this incident which was against the spirit of the game side