IPL 2021: PBKS and RR's controversies over the past seasons
The IPL isn't without its fair share of controversies. From fixing scandals to player arguments, the tournament has seen it all since its inception in 2008.
It all started with the infamous 'Slapgate' in 2008 when veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh reportedly slapped S Sreesanth, who was playing for the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab).
The league has since moved on. But controversial headlines keep popping up every now and then.
In this article, we take a look at some of the biggest debacles that both RR and PBKS have been involved in during their time in the IPL.
RR players involved in the spot-fixing scandal
2013 was an ugly year for RR. Three of their players, S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, were arrested by Delhi police after charges of alleged spot-fixing. Their contracts were suspended until the investigation was complete.
The trio were initially cleared of all charges by the Patiala Courts in 2015 on grounds of lack of sufficient evidence.
However, in 2016, transcripts of several taped telephonic conversations between Chandila and alleged bookies surfaced as part of the investigation. Consequently, he was slapped with a lifetime ban by the BCCI.
The murky spat between Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta
It all started in 2009 when reports emerged of Ness Wadia slapping Preity Zinta at a party. The duo, who jointly owned the Punjab franchise, eventually decided to break up but they continued working together in the IPL.
Just when it looked like all the ugliness could be put in the past, Zinta filed a police complaint against Wadia in 2014. The complaint claimed that she was hit and abused by Wadia during an IPL match between KXIP and MI at the Wankhede Stadium.
The case was dismissed by Bombay High Court in 2018.
Rahul Tewatia vs Khaleel Ahmed in IPL 2021
Rahul Tewatia was one of the more impressive players in IPL 2020. However, he found himself in a spot of bother during Rajasthan's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Khaleel Ahmed, representing SRH, got stuck into Tewatia in the final over of Rajasthan's innings when the latter team was on the cusp of victory.. Tempers flared and it required David Warner's intervention to calm his bowler down.
PBKS' 'one run short' stir
IPL 2020 was a season of heartbreaks for Punjab..
In their opening match against the Delhi Daredevils that season, umpire Nitish Menon erred on the third ball of the 19th over of the PBKS innings by declaring a short run. That one short run came back to haunt the franchise as the match went into a super over that ultimately saw DC emerging victorious in scintillating fashion.
It wasn't just their opening match that saw the Punjab Kings being so close and yet so far. The same theme transpired at the end of their group-stage matches as they fell just one win short of qualifying for the playoffs.
Upon being eliminated from the tournament, Punjab skipper KL Rahul spoke about their shortcomings and alluded to the short-run incident in their opening encounter.
"If you look back at it , we had a lot of games in our pocket but we couldn't get over the line. We only have ourselves to blame," PBKS skipper KL Rahul said. "At the start of the tournament, that short run [call] has come back to bite us very hard. We all make mistakes and we have made a few this season. We need to accept it, learn from it and come back stronger."