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Ravichandran Ashwin receives clean chit in ball-tampering charges in TNPL
Madurai Panthers raise concerns over ball condition
The controversy began when the Siechem Madurai Panthers submitted a formal complaint, claiming the ball had deteriorated unusually during their innings. Coach Shijit Chandran alleged that the Dindigul players may have used chemically treated towels to tamper with the ball. He noted that the batters experienced difficulty after the powerplay, describing the sound at contact as similar to hitting "a stone instead of a cricket ball". The complaint was initially directed to the Madurai franchise's CEO before reaching TNPL authorities.
TNPL officials find no wrongdoing
Responding to the complaint, TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan dismissed the accusations after reviewing match-day reports. He clarified that the towels in question were standard issue from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and available to both teams. According to him, match officials, including the umpires and referee, monitored the ball consistently and had raised no concerns during play. He described the complaint as speculative and lacking any verifiable proof.
Kannan also offered Madurai the option to escalate the matter, requesting them to provide concrete video, photographic or testimonial evidence by June 17 if they sought an independent investigation.
Ashwin-led Dindigul stays focused amid noise
Despite the off-field drama, Ashwin's Dindigul Dragons continued their strong title defence. The side chased down a target of 151 in under 13 overs, thanks to an explosive start from openers Ashwin and Shivam Singh. With back-to-back wins under their belt, the Dragons look well on course for another deep TNPL campaign.
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Time of India
34 minutes ago
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News18
an hour ago
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
UP not mafia-free, smaller mafias have merged into a mega-mafia: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused the BJP-led state government of corruption, citing the recent arrest of a Kanpur lawyer for running an extortion racket. In an X post in Hindi, Yadav said there is a "triangle of BJP corruption" in Uttar Pradesh -- "the corrupt BJP government involved in fake encounters, corrupt officials amassing black money and shielded by the BJP, and a corrupt lawyer covering up their misdeeds." Targeting the Yogi Adityanath government's anti-mafia campaign, Yadav wrote, "The corrupt individuals who earned crores of rupees were never spotted by drones or binoculars, the matter came to light only when their own extortion racket was exposed. Let's see whether the bulldozers move on their own against encroachments by this BJP-backed land mafia after my post, or some bigger extortionist will hush up the matter by collecting money from everyone." He further said, "Where are those who claimed that Uttar Pradesh has become mafia-free? The truth is, Uttar Pradesh has not become 'mafia-free', instead the smaller mafias have merged into a 'mega mafia'." Yadav's remarks referred to the arrest of lawyer Akhilesh Dubey and his aide Lavi Mishra in Kanpur earlier this month. They duo was accused of running an extortion racket by filing false rape cases to blackmail high-profile individuals, including BJP leader Ravi Satija. According to police, Dubey and Mishra were arrested on August 6 after a month-long 'Operation Mahakal' was launched to crack down on extortion rackets and land mafia. Dubey had blackmailed several people over the years, misusing legal processes for personal gain, they said.
