3 biggest controversies of IPL 2023

The IPL 2023 season was arguably the most watched ever in the history of the tournament, and naturally so because of a number of incredible games that went right down to the wire. However, it wasn't always the cricket that got the viewers engaged.

There have been controversial instances in the IPL 2023 season that have had fans debating. The heat of the moment and the context of the game also played a part in these controversies.

On that note, let's take a look at the three most controversial incidents in IPL 2023:

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#3 MS Dhoni's argument with the umpires

Matheesha Pathirana was an important factor in the success of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023 season, as he had the responsibility of bowling at the death. His ability to pick wickets at the death made him an absolutely lethal option for Dhoni.

During Qualifier 1 against the Gujarat Titans, the umpires intervened and told captain MS Dhoni that Pathirana wouldn't be able to bowl the 16th over. This was because the pacer was off the field for a certain amount of time and had to be on the field for a certain number of minutes to be eligible to bowl.

It was a crucial juncture in the game because Dhoni would have had to look at a sixth bowling option had Pathirana not bowled that over. The CSK skipper then showed great presence of mind as he kept on talking with the umpires until the time had passed for Pathirana to bowl.

While this meant that CSK had to keep an extra fielder inside the circle for the final two overs due to the slow over rate, Pathirana bowled his four overs, and they won the game by 15 runs. Some fans, however, questioned the umpires as to how they allowed the former Indian captain to just stall the game.

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#2 IPL 2023's Nut and Bolt incident

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hosted the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in an IPL game that was important for both teams in the context of the race to the playoffs. The hosts got quite a few umpiring decisions against them, like wides and no balls.

The home crowd became restless and furious, and a certain section started throwing nuts and bolts at the LSG dugout. All-rounder Prerak Mankad, who was at long-on, also got hit in the head, and the play had to be stopped for a few minutes.

Lucknow ended up winning that game, and their celebration showed just how pumped up they were after the whole incident. The SRH crowd was scrutinized for this absolutely appalling behavior that proved a threat to the safety of the players.

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#1 The Virat-Naveen face-off

LSG were involved in yet another controversy, this time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). RCB had lost the game against LSG at home on the final ball, and the celebration from the players and mentor Gautam Gambhir certainly didn't seem to go down well with Virat Kohli.

The former RCB skipper was pumped up when Bangalore beat Lucknow in the reverse fixture and engaged in a heated exchange during the game with LSG pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. Even after the game was done, the duo had another heated exchange that led to a bigger bust-up involving Gambhir as well.

The heated exchanges after the game had a long-lasting effect, as Naveen posted a cryptic Instagram story after RCB's exit from the competition. It is still arguably the most talked-about incident from IPL 2023.