The league has never failed to entertain with off-field drama
- Slapgate:
The first season of the IPL managed to easily grab eyeballs on the field, but the tournament found fresh intrigue after the infamous Slapgate incident. Harbhajan Singh slapped India teammate Sreesanth after a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. Television cameras captured the incident, and Sreesanth’s subsequent tears. The exact cause of the incident remains a mystery.
- The End of Lalit Modi:
The IPL was the brainchild and pet project of Lalit Modi, and the instant success of the league turned him into a household name in India and across the sporting world. In 2010, the IPL chairman was sacked from his post by the BCCI after charges of financial wrongdoing and corruption. After finding him guilty of misconduct, the BCCI banned him for life in 2013 from holding administrative posts in cricket. He has remained an ardent critic and opponent of the BCCI, even using loopholes to successfully run for the helm of the Rajasthan Cricket Association.
- Shah Rukh Khan Wankhede Ban:
Shah Rukh Khan’s status often affords him unique privileges, especially in his home Mumbai. However, in 2012 he was involved in an altercation with security guards at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai following his team’s win. He was accused of walking onto the field before he was allowed and abusing the officials. The no-nonsense, rule-abiding Mumbai Cricket Association banned Khan from entering the stadium for five years, a ruling he was furious with, but overturned the ban in 2015.
- Spot-Fixing Scandal:
Delhi police charged Rajasthan Royals trio Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan with spot-fixing. Upon investigation, the players were handed life bans from cricket. The scandal rocked the IPL, prompting a crackdown on betting in India and driving a decline in television viewership the next season.
- Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell Test Positive For Drugs:
The Pune Warriors duo were detained in 2012, when Mumbai police raided a rave that they were at. They both tested positive for recreational drugs, and severe doubts hovered over their future, but they were soon released and did not face sanction from their franchises.
