Players clashed after Maratha Royals' win in the T20 Mumbai League 2026 final. High drama unfolded near the dugout.
A video of this altercation in the final moments of the match and the drama near the dugout is now going viral on social media, raising questions about the spirit of cricket.
The entire controversy began in the 19th over of Andheri's innings. Batsman Gaurav Jathar kept his team's hopes of victory alive by hitting a magnificent six off Irfan Umair's ball.
However, on the very next ball, Irfan turned the match around by getting Jathar (23 runs) out LBW. After getting out, Jathar looked very disappointed and had a heated argument with Maratha Royals' player Tushar Deshpande while returning to the pavilion.
Seeing the matter escalate between the two players, umpires and other players had to intervene immediately. They somehow calmed both of them down, but it was the calm before the storm.
The argument that started on the field reached the ARCS Andheri dugout within minutes, where captain Shivam Dubey and the rest of the team were present.
In the viral video, it is clearly visible that a Maratha Royals player approached Andheri's team area, after which a sharp exchange of words began from both sides.
The atmosphere became so heated that support staff and players from both teams had to rush to intervene. Fortunately, the situation was brought under control in time, otherwise things could have worsened.
Amidst this controversy, Tushar Deshpande performed brilliantly with the ball. Taking on the responsibility of captaincy after Siddhesh Lad's injury, Deshpande took crucial wickets like Divyaansh Saxena and Shivam Dubey.
He delivered a splendid performance of 2/33 in his spell. Thanks to this performance, he also captured the Purple Cap by taking a total of 12 wickets in the tournament.
After the win, Deshpande said, 'This shows the strength of Mumbai cricket. Boys coming from the club level are also performing without fear in front of such a large crowd.'
Even though Maratha Royals won the title, this controversy in the final match will be remembered for a long time. The incident soured the end of a thrilling contest and left a deep stain on the spirit of the game.
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