IPL: 5 Biggest controversies in the cash-rich league

The Indian Premier League has turned the game around for the whole world, changing how the game is seen. The attitude to play T20 cricket has been significantly changed by the cash-rich league. However, there have also been several controversies in the tournament which we can take a look at below.

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1. Wankhede and Shahrukh Khan

In 2012, the owner of the KKR franchise became embroiled in a dispute during an IPL game. According to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Sharukh allegedly made noises as he entered the field while drunk. He had also been nasty to the guards. Because of this, there was a great deal of agitation, and people stopped Sharukh from striking the guard.

Sharukh defended himself by saying that he had come to the stadium to pick up his children and used disparaging words in Marathi. For the next five years, until 2017, Sharukh was not allowed to use the MCA's land; however, the prohibition was lifted in 2015. 

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2. Slap Gate Controversy

After being photographed slapping then-Kings XI Punjab pacer S. Sreesanth in Mohali on April 25, 2008, Harbhajan, who was then captaining the Mumbai Indians, found himself embroiled in a significant controversy.

Later, Sreesanth was seen sobbing bitterly in the stadium when the BCCI's disciplinary committee prohibited Harbhajan from playing any further matches this season in addition to banning him from five One-Day Internationals.

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Later on, Sree said it was more of a palm push than a slap. Sree and Bhajji eventually made up and resumed their friendship, although Sreesanth's tearful visage was featured in the press for a while. 

3. Pakistani players banned

Since the terrorists who carried out the horrific attack in Mumbai in 2008 were from Pakistan, ties between India and Pakistan reached a new low after the terror incident. Following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Pakistan Cricket Board even refused to allow its players to travel to India to compete in the second season of the IPL, allegedly citing safety concerns.

In the years that followed, PCB made requests to permit their players. Even though there have been several requests and discussions over the years, the IPL has not welcomed cricket players from the neighbouring nation.

4. Lalit Modi Sacked

The Indian Premier League was founded by Lalit Modi, who also served as its inaugural chairman and commissioner. The league was in operation for three years, ending in 2010. The issue began in 2010 when Modi received three show-cause notices accusing him of rigging auctions, breaking confidentiality agreements, and committing financial irregularities in television deals. 

It didn't take long for him to go from being the board's blue-eyed boy to villain. He was accused of bid-rigging two new franchises this year, a dubious broadcast arrangement with Sony, the dubious initial bids of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, and his conduct. After that, Chirayu Amin was appointed the league's new chairman. 

5. Spot Fixing Scandal

The "Spot Fixing Scandal" that arose during the Indian Premier League rocked cricket's foundations and had a profound impact on the sport. Delhi Police accused S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan of spot-fixing and subsequently arrested them. In 2016, the BCCI banned Ajit Chandila from all cricket competitions, although all three players were exonerated of all charges after the courts ruled them not guilty.

Bookies had ties to CSK's owner, Gurunath Meiyappan, who was the son-in-law of BCCI chairman N Srinivasan. Consequently, the owners of the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were suspended, preventing both teams from playing in the IPL for two seasons.

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