Ravichandran Ashwin explodes in anger after a shocking decision during cricket match

Dubai: Ravichandran Ashwin is known as one of the shrewdest cricketing minds of his generation, rarely one to break character on the field. But on Sunday evening in Coimbatore, the 38-year-old’s emotions got the better of him after a contentious leg-before decision in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) left him fuming — and ultimately lighter in the pocket.

Captaining Dindigul Dragons against IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, Ashwin opened the batting and looked in ominous touch, racing to 18 off 10 balls with two boundaries and a six. But in the fifth over, left-arm spinner and Tiruppur captain R Sai Kishore struck him on the pad with a delivery that appeared to pitch outside leg stump. Umpire Venkatesan Krithika raised her finger to the appeal.

Ashwin, visibly stunned, turned to question the decision. Replays suggested he had a case — the ball seemed clearly to have pitched outside leg — but the Dragons had already burned their quota of referrals in the first over on leg-side wide calls, thanks to a new TNPL rule allowing DRS for wides and no-balls.

Denied the chance to review, Ashwin walked back seething. He smashed his bat against his pads, flung his gloves near the dugout, and continued venting even after sitting down, with aggressive gestures and verbal exchanges directed toward the umpiring team.

The meltdown drew swift disciplinary action. Match referee Arjun Kripal Singh found Ashwin guilty on two counts: dissent towards the umpires (10 per cent fine) and misuse of equipment (20 per cent). The total 30 per cent fine was accepted by the player during a post-match hearing.

“Ashwin was fined 10 per cent for showing dissent towards the umpires and 20 per cent for misuse of equipment. He accepted the sanctions,” a TNPL official confirmed to Cricbuzz.

It capped off a forgettable evening for Ashwin, whose Dragons went on to lose the match by nine wickets. The veteran off-spinner had also endured a disappointing IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings earlier this year, taking just seven wickets and scoring 33 runs in nine matches.

This latest outburst is likely to invite debate, not just about the decision but also about the growing pressure on senior players to lead by example in franchise leagues. For Ashwin, a man who once prided himself on playing strictly by the book, Sunday’s scenes in Coimbatore were wildly out of character — and deeply telling.