R Ashwin Pays Big Price For Angry Act In TNPL 2025, Handed Hefty Penalty
Quick Read
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed
Ravichandran Ashwin faced a controversial dismissal in a TNPL match against IDream Tiruppur.
He was adjudged leg-before wicket while attempting a paddle sweep off R Sai Kishore's bowling.
Ashwin received a 30% penalty, including 10% for dissent and 20% for equipment misuse.
One of the finest cricketers of his generation, Ravichandran Ashwin had a rare on-field meltdown after his debatable dismissal during a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match between Dindigul Dragons and IDream Tiruppur Tamizhians. Ashwin, leading the Dragons, was adjudged leg-before off left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore in the fifth over after coming out to open the innings. He looked in ominous touch as he raced to 18 with a couple of boundaries and a six off the first 10 deliveries.
Ashwin had to pay the price of his erratic behaviour on the field that prompted the officials to hand him a total of 30 percent penalty for the act.
"Ashwin was fined 10 percent for showing dissent towards the umpires and 20 percent for misuse of equipment. He accepted the sanctions," a TNPL official told Cricbuzz.
Ashwin loses his cool after a tight LBW call #TNPL2025 #Ashwin pic.twitter.com/kJHVzXWrjE
— FanCode (@FanCode) June 9, 2025
It was the 11th delivery that he faced, which was the fifth ball of the fifth over, Ashwin tried to play the paddle sweep but the delivery struck him on the pads.
Umpire Venkatesan Krithika raised his finger to an appeal from the bowler as Ashwin was scampering home for a quick single.
From the replays, it was clear that the ball pitched outside the leg-stump. Ashwin couldn't appeal for DRS as he and his opening partner Shivam Singh (30 off 27 balls) had exhausted their quota of referrals in the first over itself on leg-side wide deliveries (new rule introduced in TNPL).
Hence with no referrals left, Ashwin had no option but to head back to the dug-out.
India's second highest wicket-taker was so stunned was infuriated and was seen animatedly asking Krithika about the decision. Umpire Krithika initially looked through him as they crossed paths but later turned to justify her decision.
Ashwin was visibly annoyed and while leaving the ground made sure that everyone around knew how he felt.
While returning, he first smashed his bat onto his leg guards to let some steam out and then as he reached near the boundary ropes, he opened his gloves and flung them in disgust.
Worse, Ashwin's team lost the match by a comprehensive nine-wicket margin.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ram Arvindh and Chaturved sizzle as Panthers take down Kovai Kings
R. Ram Arvindh's well-crafted 64 (48b, 4x4, 3x6) and a quickfire cameo from skipper N. S. Chaturved (46 n.o., 23b, 4x4, 3x6) helped Siechem Madurai Panthers beat Lyca Kovai Kings by seven wickets in the final league game of the Coimbatore leg of the TNPL-9 at the Sri Ramakrishna College here on Wednesday. Pursuing 170, openers Ram and B. Anirudh Sita Ram (37) showed that batters could score at a brisk pace while playing conventional shots and gave their side a solid start. The duo displayed positive intent while minimising risk during their 88-run alliance. Ram showed great range, sweeping and late-cutting M. Shahrukh Khan for a six and four. He then lofted N. Kabilan and walked down to flick the pacer through the leg-side majestically. Later, skipper Chaturved came out guns blazing, smashing Jhatavedh Subramanyan for two sixes and a four in the 13th over and got the job done. Earlier, for the second match in succession, the Kovai Kings' batters failed, and it was left to skipper Shahrukh to save his outfit from the blemish with an entertaining unbeaten 77 (44b, 8x4, 4x6) that took the team to 169 for five. Asked to bat, Kings started well, getting to 55 for one in the PowerPlay, but the Panthers' spinners pulled back, picking up wickets in regular intervals to reduce the home side to 107 for five. Shahrukh was at his flamboyant best, striking cleanly, but lacked support from his teammates. He gave the final flourish, smashing pacer S. Surya Anand for consecutive sixes in the 19th and finished the innings with a hat-trick of fours off Gurjapneet Singh. However, it was not enough for the Kings to avoid a second straight defeat in their backyard. The scores: Lyca Kovai Kings 169/5 in 20 overs (M. Shahrukh Khan 77 n.o.) lost to Siechem Madurai Panthers 171/3 in 17.5 overs (R. Ram Arvindh 64, B. Anirudh Sita Ram 37, N.S. Chaturved 46 n.o.). Toss: Panthers. Next match: At Salem (June 13): Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans vs SKM Salem Spartans (7.15 p.m.).
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
You can never achieve perfection but that's the only thing that will keep you running: Varun
Ever since his return to the national team in October 2024, Varun Chakaravarthy has been on a purple patch. The 33-year-old has quickly become India's strike bowler in T20Is and could be a key cog in the Men in Blue's title-defence campaign in next year's T20 World Cup to be played in India and Sri Lanka. Earlier this year, the mystery spinner also demonstrated his prowess in the ODI format as well and played a key part in India's Champions Trophy triumph. After another productive IPL season where he took 17 wickets, Varun is back in the TNPL, trying out new variations to stay ahead of the batter. In a chat with The Hindu, Varun spoke about his form, the three-year struggle to get back his place in the national team, and more. Excerpts: It has been a tremendous last year for you. How do you see this phase of your career, and do you feel you are at the peak of your form? Nothing but gratitude for the people who stood by me and helped me. So I'd like to thank all of them. In another six or seven months, I might reach my peak. Still, there's more work to be done, which is what I'm trying to work on in this TNPL so that I can try some new things. If I get one more (variation), which I am trying, I will be very happy. You had another successful season in the IPL, taking the most wickets for KKR. It was also the first time you came into an IPL after playing a lot of international cricket. How was it in terms of your game and also your workload? Regarding the workload, not much, but just the mental aspect of it. I played the full domestic season, and I was at home for probably just 10 days over the last seven months. Other than that, it's fine and I can't complain at all. I love what's coming my way and I have to take it with both hands. It wasn't tough in the IPL, I feel IPL can sometimes be tougher than international cricket. However, it gets tougher when you play domestic cricket, as sometimes the fatigue sets in. I train three to four times a week nowadays, which helps keep my body fit. For the last seven months, I have been playing continuous cricket, and thankfully, I have no injuries. I'm used to the schedule now, and I feel that by the time the next T20 World Cup comes, I will be even fitter. So, I am ready for the challenges. Can you discuss the effort you've put into your fitness? You started late and weren't the fittest or most agile cricketer, but you seem to have gotten better. Yeah, it was a holistic approach. First thing, I had to cut down on my unwanted food-eating habits. So nutrition was the most important thing, and then hitting the gym three or four times a week. I have not trained with a single person so far, because every team has had a different trainer. I had to find my way through, which was challenging, but I was able to do it. I know what works for me and what doesn't, so I communicate with them and take it forward. I am also running constantly, so if I get a two or three-day break between matches, I make sure to run on one of those days. It's more about making my lifestyle as a cricketer, rather than just doing it as practice time. How was it being part of the Champions Trophy-winning squad, and you played your part in the triumph as well? Yeah, it's the biggest blessing, I think, that I've got for whatever I had to go through in the last three years when I was not recognised. Once I was dropped from the team, I felt that I had put in too much work, but I didn't have a clear direction. I have to give credit where it's due - definitely to GG sir (Gautam Gambhir) and the captains, who backed me. I performed well in the T20 series, and then I was introduced to the ODI setup. Rohit Sharma also played a role in getting me into the team. It just felt like life came full circle at that same venue. I just wish I could turn up like that for the country again and again and keep making everyone proud. You were seen as a largely T20 bowler, so how did you find the transition to ODI cricket? I have always done well in the 50-over format for TN. In the three seasons I've played in the Vijay Hazare, I've always been among the top two highest wicket takers in the country, so it has always gone well for me. So, one-day cricket was never a doubt for me. I always knew that I could do it. I know that once the ball softens and becomes rougher, I can get more grip and turn, and if the batters miss it, I can take wickets. In T20, you don't get time to set up a batter, but in ODI, I get that. I can bowl five incoming deliveries, and one away, or four outgoing deliveries, and one in. I can't do that in T20, because I will get predictable. You are largely self-taught in the sense that you didn't go through the rigours of age-group cricket and more systemic coaching. How did it help or affect your ability to make a comeback? Yes, because I started everything by myself, even now, the thinking part and the direction part are where I have to be involved; everything I do is on my own. When I needed help, I did fall back on A.C. Prathiban and, obviously, Abhishek Nayar, who has been my mentor and helps me with the mental aspect of it. But other than this, the key decisions I take. If I have to develop variations or not, I take all those things into consideration. I put it in front of my coach, AC (Prathiban), and he gets to see if it's working or not, so that's how our partnership has been. My mind is always working around the clock to improve. Even here in TNPL, I've come to try certain variations. What is the key to the success of being a mystery spinner, and how to stay ahead of the batter? I think it's mainly about the sequencing of the deliveries. I can bowl three away going and one incoming, or one straight, two incomings, one away going. It's about how I'm mixing up, how I'm sequencing the ball. The skill is there, but how you use it is the main thing, because there are many people with the skill. You must be highly accurate in all those deliveries. I know that I have to be perfect. However, the fact is that perfection is an illusion (maya). You can never achieve perfection, but that's the only thing that will keep you running; you will never be satisfied, so it is a double-edged sword. That's how it works, too. Even though I know I won't be perfect at all, I keep chasing it. From your breakthrough in 2018, you made the national team in three years. However, once dropped, it took another three years to get back your place. Which was tougher? Yeah, my comeback was a lot tougher because I had tasted the forbidden fruit once, so I wanted to taste it again. Once I was dropped from the team, I knew the way, but there were more obstacles this time. The first time I came through, it was through word of mouth. However, the second time, I had to cross and convince many people, breaking many perceptions about me. Even the training regime, I used to get up by 5:30 a.m., go for practice, not knowing when I would get the call. When you say I got the call after three years, but I didn't think I would get that call after three years. So I just kept on doing my thing. Since 2023, you have been performing well in the IPL and for TN whenever you have played. Did it affect that you didn't get a callback? Yes, that's what made me feel that I wasn't being considered at all. That's what I thought, because I was performing well in the IPL and domestic cricket as well. But God's grace, God's plan... (I got back). You have now found a second wind in your career. How much of it is developing new skills, and how much of it is just mental adjustments or refinements? When you first come onto the scene, a perception is created about you, and people start getting used to it. Then you have to break that perception. You can only break that perception when you develop other specific skills. I feel it's the toughest, but that's when you'll have a longer run. The second time, it is like breaking your own identity and becoming a new person, but it is much more enduring. You must have the courage to unlearn many things.
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- The Hindu
Self-taught, pressure-tested: M. Poiyamozhi's TNPL blueprint
After restricting the Trichy Grand Cholas to 28 for four in the PowerPlay while defending 180, the Salem Spartans looked firmly in control. But a 41-ball, 88-run stand between R. Rajkumar and J. Kousik threatened to snatch the game away. When Rajkumar fell in the 17th over, the match hung in the balance — 16 needed off the final six balls. Despite conceding 34 in his previous two overs, the ball was handed to M. Poiyamozhi. The first delivery — an attempted yorker missed its mark by a few inches and was whipped to the boundary. Now 12 from 5. Then came the switch. The experienced pacer went back to his trusted slower ball. Only four runs came off the remaining five deliveries. Kousik fell on the last ball, undone by an off-pace short ball. Spartans clinched a nervy win, and Poiyamozhi had delivered once again. 'My slower ball grips in general, but because of the wet ball (following a drizzle ahead of the game), the ball was coming on well for the batters. I decided to go with Plan B — the yorker,' Poiyamozhi told Sportstar. 'I have played countless TNPL matches, but when it comes down to 16 from 6, the pressure is always on the bowler. I was trying to stay calm and give myself confidence. I tried the slower yorker next up. It landed, and it proved difficult to hit.' Poiyamozhi has made a habit of standing up when it matters. With 57 wickets in just 40 matches, he sits ninth on the all-time TNPL wicket-takers list. His strike rate of 15.61 is second-best among the top 10 — proof of a bowler who thrives under pressure. His current reputation as a death-overs specialist didn't come easy. It came through years of adjustment, rejection, and self-instruction. 'Four years back, I used to bowl a couple of overs in the PowerPlay, but as I gained experience, I started bowling at the death. My seam-up delivery used to swing and move off the deck earlier, but the team wanted someone to bowl at the death,' he said. 'Even now, I can show that I can bowl good pace, but that's not what my team wants. My job is to ensure I don't concede many at the death.' A native of Avadi, Poiyamozhi began with the Thiruvallur Under-15 district team. But he never progressed beyond the district level. For years, he stayed stuck in the system with no formal coach and no first-class pathway. 'I was quick then, but I used to leak a lot of runs. I had no idea what I should bowl. It is only after the advent of T20 cricket that I realised I need variations.' Poiyamozhi's current reputation as a death-overs specialist didn't come easy. | Photo Credit: TNPL Much of his craft — slower balls, yorkers, angles — was self-taught. 'In the U-15s, we used to play 10-over or six-over games, and we only had two overs to bowl, so we tried picking as many wickets as possible,' he said. 'We were taught to bowl line and length and target the right areas later in league cricket, but I found that hard. I was able to bowl only three out of six balls in the right areas because I kept going after picking wickets.' In 2024, Poiyamozhi was playing third-division cricket for Sical Recreation Club, picking six wickets in seven games to help secure promotion. At 32, he knows his ceiling may be limited, but he also knows what TNPL has given him — and others like him. 'There was very little support from home. Injuries kept recurring. My mom asked why I continue to play despite having completed my education,' he said. 'I loved playing cricket, and I requested some time to figure things out. It was the TNPL that helped me convince them. The fact that they were able to see me on TV gave them the confidence that I'm getting somewhere with the game.' That journey has already made a difference at home. His younger brother, M. Udhaya Kumar, made his TNPL debut this season for Nellai Royal Kings. 'He grew up looking at me playing cricket, so his run-up and bowling action are quite similar to mine,' Poiyamozhi said. 'Because of my TNPL success, my brother found it a lot easier. Not just my life, but many cricketers' lives have been changed by TNPL.' In a league full of eye-catching six-hitters and flashy young talents, Poiyamozhi's story is different. No academy grooming. No early state caps. Just grit, slow balls, and belief.
