KL Rahul vs Sanjiv Goenka to BCCI-PCB Feud: Cricket’s most controversial moments of 2024

The year 2024 in cricket was another impressive one, with India dominating every team in the T20 World Cup and winning the silverware, to seeing New Zealand whitewashing India in Test cricket on Indian soil. While many great things happened, there were also several controversies that made headlines across the cricketing world.

Recently, we saw a subtle fight between Sam Konstas and Virat Kohli, which became the talk of both the Australian and Indian media. However, before that, there were several other controversies that attracted attention. As in every year, this one too saw disagreements and allegations coming to light. Let’s take a look at the three most talked-about controversies that caught the public’s attention and became hot topics of discussion.

1. KL Rahul vs Sanjiv Goenka

Sanjiv Goenka vs KL Rahul was one of the prime stories of IPL 2024. It all started when Sanjiv Goenka was caught on camera having an animated discussion with KL Rahul, who was the captain of LSG at the time, after his team lost the match by 10 wickets to SRH. That animated conversation became the talk of the town throughout the IPL.

Many former players and fans came out in support of the LSG captain, and social platforms like X saw widespread outrage against LSG owner. Rahul later stated that the chat was not fruitful and that such incidents affected the entire group.

Ultimately, the team finished seventh on the IPL 2024 table. Following the conversation between the two, there was speculation that LSG would release Rahul ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, and they did. In the auction, the former Lucknow skipper secured a 14-crore deal with the Delhi Capitals franchise.

2. BCCI vs PCB

Apart from the IPL, another tournament that is still in the news, even before it has started, is the ICC Champions Trophy. That’s right, there was a massive discussion, and many developments came surrounding the tournament. The controversy began when the BCCI announced that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan, citing government orders due to security concerns.

It was almost clear from the start that India would not travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy and would insist on a hybrid model. However, the PCB was reluctant, wanting to host the full event in Pakistan across the three designated venues, Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. They also proposed a schedule and venue list.

Things became more complicated as, on one hand, India was unwilling to send the team to Pakistan, while on the other, the PCB was not ready to accept a hybrid model.

ICC intervened multiple times to understand the situation and find a solution, with several meetings taking place. In the end, the PCB agreed to the hybrid model, with India’s matches now set to take place in the UAE. However, the PCB set conditions, including that since India is not coming to Pakistan, they will not visit India for upcoming ICC events.

3. Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians return

One of the earliest controversies of 2024, still fresh in everyone’s mind and possibly one of the biggest, took place during the last IPL. When Mumbai Indians announced that Hardik Pandya would replace Rohit Sharma as captain for IPL 2024, it sparked a lot of reluctance from Rohit Sharma lovers and MI fans. The five-time champions lost many followers on social media. When the IPL season started, the new captain, Hardik Pandya, faced intense booing at every ground, with cricket fans in the stadium clearly unhappy with Rohit Sharma’s removal as captain.

Also, not to forget, Pandya came to MI after having a successful stint as leader of Gujarat Titans, where camp won the 2022 IPL and led them to the final in 2023. However, everything turned for Hardik Pandya when he joined MI, as the team finished 10th under his captaincy. There was a lot of speculation, with players like Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma not happy with Hardik’s leadership.

His form also came under scrutiny, with his bowling economy crossing 9, and his batting also struggling. But in the end, as a player, Hardik Pandya redeemed himself by showcasing a champion-like performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, both with the bat and the ball.

4. Suryakumar Yadav’s Catch Controversy in T20 World Cup Final

As mentioned in the introduction, the Indian team thumped every opponent in the T20 World Cup, and when it came to the final, where the Men in Blue triumphed over South Africa, it became the talk of the town. However, another moment that gained attention was Suryakumar Yadav’s catch. It was David Miller who was batting and hit a wide full toss from Hardik Pandya in the final over, but Suryakumar managed to catch the ball just inside the ropes at long-off. Fans realized this only when he went over the boundary and then came back in to complete the astonishing catch.

After a long review, it was confirmed as a fair catch. However, some social media users raised accusations, claiming that the boundary cushion had been slightly moved to favor India. For many, it seemed like an unnecessary debate, and several users countered the accusations by providing video angles showing that the cushion had been in the same position throughout the match, including during the Indian innings.

5. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s removal from BCCI contract list

Going back to February 2024, when the BCCI announced the central contract list for Senior Men in 2023-24, two marquee players, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, were axed from the list and dropped from the Indian team. This created a big discussion among cricket fans, with some supporting the omission and others opposing it. Starting with Ishan Kishan, who was named in the squad for the South Africa tour, he withdrew his name, citing mental fatigue, and chose not to play domestic cricket. He also ignored the BCCI management’s advice to get back on track.

Shreyas Iyer, who was in poor form in Test cricket, got dropped after the first two Tests against England. He then made himself unavailable for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinals, citing injury concerns, but the NCA stated that he had no fresh injuries. This created a lot of confusion, and ultimately, both players lost their places in the camp.

6. Virat Kohli vs Sam Konstas controversy

And now, the latest controversy, which is still the talk of the town in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 4th Test at the MCG, involves India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli. Kohli came under fire after being involved in a physical on-field altercation with 19-year-old Australian debutant Sam Konstas. The incident occurred at the end of the 10th over when Kohli bumped shoulders with Konstas, and suddenly, a heated exchange took place between the two players.

Australian opener Usman Khawaja and umpire Michael Gough intervened to calm things down. However, Australian fans couldn’t hold back and started booing Virat Kohli, while the Australian media, which once labeled him the GOAT, referred to him as “Clown Kohli.” This didn’t sit well with Indian fans. Also, we saw how Sam Konstas’ Wikipedia page was edited, with a user calling Konstas the “father of Kohli and Bumrah,” which attracted massive attention, but Wikipedia editors were quick to delete it.