A look at cricket controversies of 2020
What's the story
The outbreak of COVID-19 impacted every sport, including cricket, in 2020. However, the resurrection came rather stronger with the introduction of bio-secure bubbles. The English Test summer marked the resumption of cricket in August, which was followed by action-packed editions of T20 leagues. Notably, a number of controversies also made headlines during the year. We take a look at the same.
Concussion sub
A controversy erupted Down Under over concussion substitute
In the first T20I Down Under, India were under the scanner after opting for a concussion substitute. It started in the final over of first innings when Ravindra Jadeja got struck on his helmet. However, he wasn't checked by the physio immediately, and played out the remaining balls. A controversy emanated in the second innings, with Yuzvendra Chahal coming in as a concussion substitute.
Short run
An umpiring error cost KXIP the match
The second game of IPL 2020 turned out to be a thriller as DC won the Super Over, with KXIP failing to chase 158. Notably, an umpiring decision became a bone of contention during the run-chase. In the final over, the square-leg umpire termed a short run, which was later deemed wrong in the replay. After the match, KXIP filed an appeal against it.
Rohit
'Lack of clarity' over Rohit Sharma's status
The "miscommunication" over Rohit Sharma's status continued to propel for days. The BCCI had initially left him out from all squads for Australian tour, considering his hamstring injury. Although he was later added to the Test squad, he returned back home to recuperate. Eventually, he made the cut for final two Tests. Even Virat Kohli lamented "lack of clarity" over the entire fiasco.
Raina
Suresh Raina pulled out of the IPL 2020
As the Indian Premier League was shifted to UAE's bio-secure environment, the Chennai Super Kings camp got embroiled in a dispute. A few days after several members of the contingent tested positive for COVID-19, star batsman Suresh Raina opted out of the thirteenth IPL edition, citing personal reasons. Although reports of dissension between him and team owner N. Srinivasan emerged, nothing concrete was drawn.
Amir
Mohammad Amir retires from international cricket
Pace spearhead Mohammad Amir's sudden exit from Pakistan national team grabbed eyeballs. His decision came after he was left out of Pakistan's squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. Amir stated that he was being "mentally tortured" by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over his decision to quit Test cricket. Notably, the 28-year-old severed a five-year ban for a 2010 spot-fixing scandal.
Suryakumar Yadav
The infamous stare-off between Suryakumar and Kohli
Top-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav had a stellar IPL season, representing eventual champions Mumbai Indians. However, his infamous stare-off with Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli during tournament grabbed spotlight. As MI attempted to chase 165, Kohli walked up to Suryakumar, and stared at him while shining the ball. However, the latter kept his cool without creating much buzz, and won the match for MI.