Ravichandran Ashwin Cleared of Ball-Tampering Allegations in TNPL

Ashwin Exonerated from Tampering Claims

Ravichandran Ashwin, the former legendary spinner of India, has been exonerated from ball-tampering accusations in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). These allegations were brought forth by the Siechem Madurai Panthers against Ashwin's team, the Dindigul Dragons, as reported by a sports news outlet.

The Madurai franchise claimed that the Dindigul Dragons had engaged in ball tampering by utilizing towels treated with chemicals during their match in Salem on June 14.

Accusations from Siechem Madurai Panthers Coach

Shijit Chandran, the coach of Siechem Madurai Panthers, lodged a complaint that was initially directed to the franchise's CEO, Pooja Damodaran, before being forwarded to the TNPL.

"The ball's condition worsened significantly during our innings, which adversely impacted our batsmen's performance. The sound of each shot played by our batters after the powerplay resembled hitting a hard stone rather than a cricket ball," Chandran stated, as cited by the sports news outlet.

"We believe that the Dindigul Dragons utilized foreign substances to modify the ball's condition, including special towels with a pre-applied roughening agent, which is unacceptable and undermines the spirit of the game, constituting cheating," he further elaborated.

TNPL's Findings on the Allegations

Following a thorough investigation, TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan announced that no evidence supporting the ball-tampering claims was found. "The towels in question were issued by the TNCA and were available to both teams. The Playing Control Team, which included umpires and the match referee, had complete oversight of the ball throughout the match. No issues were raised during the game, and no verifiable evidence has been presented. The allegations seem speculative and made after the fact," Kannan stated.

"If the franchise has credible and verifiable evidence, they can submit a formal request for an Independent Commission of Inquiry by 3 PM on June 17, along with supporting materials such as video, photographic, or testimonial evidence," he added.

In the match held in Salem, the Dindigul Dragons secured a comfortable victory over the Madurai Panthers, with openers Ashwin and Shivam Singh leading the team to chase down 151 runs in under 13 overs. Ashwin's Dindigul team is the defending champion, having clinched their first title last season.