The electrifying and highly stimulating celebrations have been an inseparable part of cricket since the inception of the game. From shirtless dance to army salutes, numerous cricketers have celebrated their victories on the field in their style over the years, however, a few of them attracted a lot of hate and criticism and sometimes even – hard punishments for breaching the code of conduct while celebrating their victories. Hanging loose in the spirit of the game is all good until the cricketers lose their balance entirely and end up going a little overboard with their aggressive celebrations on the field.
In this article, we will take a look at the top five most controversial celebrations ever performed by cricketers on the field in the history of the game.
Andrew Symonds’ Monkey-Gate Celebration
Late Australian international cricketer Andrew Symonds will forever be associated with the infamous 2008 Monkeygate scandal where he was called a “monkey” by former Indian international cricketer Harbhajan Singh during the second test match of the India-Australia test series of 2008. After hitting a six, Andrew Symond imitated a monkey gesture in front of the crowd which immediately caught attention and became a fuming talking point for the whole world, especially in India and Australia. The late Australian cricketer was brutally criticized for the offensive gestures that he deliberately made to the crowd.
Virat Kohli’s Fiery Send-Off for Steve Smith
Virat Kohli’s infamous aggressive send-offs have always been the focal point of rage and controversies in international cricket. In a similar turn of events during the opening match of the three-match Twenty20 International series of 2017 at the Adelaide Oval Stadium where Virat Kohli gave an aggressive send-off to Steve Smith after he was dismissed. Kohli’s aggressive move was considered as “disrespectful” and “offensive” by the fans of the Australian cricket team and the legendary Indian cricketer received quite a lot of hate and criticism for his fiery send-off for Steve Smith.
Kagiso Rabada’s Violent Shoulder Bump
On the third spot on our list of the top five most controversial celebrations ever performed by cricketers on the field in the history of the game we have South African international cricketer Kagiso Rabada who violently bumped into the late Australian international cricketer Steve Smith with his shoulder after dismissing him with an lbw during the 2018 test series between South Africa and Australia. Moments after dismissing the Australian batsman, Kagiso Rabada shouted in his face and later pushed him off the pitch with a brutal and aggressive shoulder bump. Kagiso Rabada received a lot of criticism for his aggressive move and was even served with a two-match ban which was later overturned.
Harshat Rana’s “Flying-Kiss” Gesture
On the fourth spot on our list of the top five most controversial celebrations by cricketers ever we have Harshat Rana’s infamous “flying kiss” gesture that he made at SRH’s Mayank Aggarwal during the KKR vs SRH match in the IPL 2024 season at the Eden Gardens. As a consequence, Harshat Rana was immediately suspended for one match and was fined his entire match fee for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct during the IPL 2024 season. Harshat Rana’s suspension was not just controversial but also served as a reminder for the cricketers to not mess up with the IPL’s rules and code of conduct.
Marlon Samuels’ Cheeky “Salute” for Ben Stokes
Last on the list but certainly not least on the heavy dose of drama, intensity, and controversy we have Marlon Samuels’ brazen-faced salute to Ben Stokes after his dismissal during the second test match between England and West Indies on 23 April 2015. The mock salute by Marlon Samuels’ was seen as an absolutely disrespectful way to send off England’s Ben Stokes and was criticized by cricket aficionados on a global scale. Although no action was taken against the West Indies cricketer, he was called “disrespectful” by the fans of the England cricket team and was brutally criticized for his offensive and mocking gesture towards Ben Stokes.
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