Veteran spinner R Ashwin showed rare anger on the field after being given out LBW during a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match between the Dindigul Dragons and iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans in Coimbatore on Sunday, June 8.
R Ashwin’s Outburst After Controversial LBW Call
Ashwin lost his cool when umpire Krithika Venkatesan gave him out in the fifth over. Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, bowling from over the wicket for Tiruppur, appealed after Ashwin missed a paddle sweep. The ball hit Ashwin’s pads, but it looked like it had pitched outside the leg stump before turning in – and by cricket rules, a batter can’t be given LBW if the ball pitches outside leg stump, even if it’s going on to hit the stumps.
Opening the batting for Dindigul, Ashwin was clearly shocked by the umpire’s decision. He tried to question the call on the field, but umpire Krithika Venkatesan stayed calm and didn’t respond. As Ashwin walked back to the pavilion, his frustration showed – he hit his pads with the bat, took off his gloves in anger, and threw them into the dugout.
Ash அண்ணா Not Happy அண்ணாச்சி! 😶🌫
📺 தொடர்ந்து காணுங்கள் | TNPL 2025 | iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans vs Dindigul Dragons | Star Sports தமிழில் #TNPLOnJioStar #TNPL #TNPL2025 pic.twitter.com/Csc2ldnRS3
— Star Sports Tamil (@StarSportsTamil) June 8, 2025
Ravichandran Ashwin got angry on Umpire, throws his gloves towards the spectators in Domestic League called TNPL 🧐
~ What's your take on this 🤔 pic.twitter.com/5Dbk9AiSle
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) June 9, 2025
Fan Reactions Split Over Ashwin’s Behavior
Ashwin was controlling himself just because the umpire was a female 😭🙏pic.twitter.com/3XM6WAMPgy
— Kusha Sharma (@Kushacritic) June 9, 2025
Ravichandran Ashwin got angry on Umpire, throws his gloves towards the spectators in Domestic League called TNPL 🧐
~ What's your take on this 🤔 pic.twitter.com/5Dbk9AiSle
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) June 9, 2025
This is unacceptable from Ashwin his team wasted 2 reviews foe wide in 1st over itself and losing temper for Umpire decision is unfair.. Man has to be mature enough
pic.twitter.com/kN0Ct7c2Mq— Karthick KR (@Karthick01988) June 9, 2025
Ashwin’s personality is a complete mystery to me. One moment he is acting like some cricket professor giving a lecture on hiw to remian calm and the next he is throwing tantrums like a kid when things don’t go his way. What even is this behaviour?
— Jahazi (@Oye_Jahazi) June 9, 2025
We need Ashwin in Javelin Throw. pic.twitter.com/14n27chVx1
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) June 9, 2025
Ashwin nah, atleast give some respect to TNPL League 🙃 pic.twitter.com/tXXb2rrx3w
— Prakash (@definitelynot05) June 9, 2025
Importantly, Dindigul had already used up both of their reviews by the fifth over, so Ashwin had no way to challenge the decision – just when he might have needed it the most.
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last December, hasn’t yet spoken publicly about the incident. However, some fans have criticised his outburst, pointing out that, as a highly experienced international player, he’s expected to handle such situations more calmly.
This isn’t the first time Ashwin has made headlines for his temper in the TNPL. Last season, he was seen shouting at batters for not following instructions from the dugout.
Despite such moments, Ashwin’s leadership is still respected. He led Dindigul Dragons to their first TNPL title last year and helped them start the 2025 season with a win over Lyca Kovai Kings on 5 June, scoring 15 runs and taking two wickets.
However, things went wrong against Tiruppur on Sunday. After a strong opening stand of 39 runs in 28 balls with Shivam Singh, Ashwin’s controversial LBW dismissal sparked a collapse. Dindigul lost their last nine wickets for just 54 runs and were all out for 97.
