Top 5 Shocking Cricket Controversies of 2024 That went Viral

In 2024, there were a few high-profile instances that captured the global cricket community's attention. The fallout from these events ultimately led to some heated debates between cricket professionals and fans. The year proved to be very dramatic, regardless of whether it was Lalit Modi's explosive charges made in a podcast to the BCCI, India's top cricket regulatory body, criticizing cricket talents Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer.

With each year the sport cricket is only booming and expanding. The year 2024 was a roller coaster ride for the cricket industry. There were several shocking and baffling controversies happened this year that will not be easy to forget. As the year comes to an end, let us look at the biggest and viral controversies happened in 2024. Cricket controversies of 2024 will be etched in history.

Cricket controversies of 2024:

5. The USA National Cricket League is banned by the ICC:

The National Cricket League (NCL) of the United States of America was suspended by the ICC on December 10 for violating the playing eleven rules, and the league will not be sanctioned for any more competitions. The league had operational difficulties in spite of its well-known ambassadors, including Wasim Akram, Vivian Richards, and co-owners Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. Numerous athletes were accused of entering the United States on unauthorized visas, resulting in an estimated USD 200,000 in immigration law infractions and cost-cutting on sports visas.

4. Phoebe Litchfield's LBW decision in WT20:

Sue Redfern, the on-field umpire, gave her LBW. However, Litchfield chose to take the DRS after speaking with Ellyse Perry, the non-striker. The on-field ruling was overturned as replays revealed that the ball had pitched outside the left-hander's leg stump. Not only was the DRS appeal noteworthy, but so was the discussion it sparked.

Smriti Mandhana of India appeared to argue that the leg-stump rule should be applied as if Litchfield were a right-handed batter after she changed her stance as she approached the umpire. The batter's stance at the time the ball enters play determines the offside, under MCC law 36.1.2. Litchfield's evaluation favored her because the ball pitched outside the leg stump for a left-hander at that particular moment.

3. KL Rahul DRS review:

After Australia chose to challenge the on-field umpire's call, Rahul, who appeared to be India's finest batter that day, was called out caught behind by the third umpire. The third umpire seems to have made a snap decision in favor of the bowling side without considering all relevant factors. According to some, the stump mic picked up a woodsy sound prior to the bat striking the pad, indicating that the ball had made contact with the bat. Nevertheless, no solid proof was offered to back this up.

2. ICC bans Sunny Dhillon over match fixing:

The sport's governing body suspended Sunny Dhillon, a former assistant coach of an Abu Dhabi T10 League team, from all cricket-related activities for six years for "attempting" to rig games. Last year, Dhillon was charged. According to the ECB's Code for the competition, the charges concern attempts to tamper with matches in the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League that were stopped by the ICC, the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO).

1. Virat Kohli shoulder bumps Sam Konstas:

Virat Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for shoulder-bumping Sam Konstas at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, December 26, the first day of the Boxing Day Test. After the Australian innings' tenth over ended, the players were crossing over when the event happened. The collision between Kohli and Konstas occurred as they crossed the field. When both players quickly turned to face each other, Konstas' teammate Usman Khawaja stepped in to break up the heated exchange of words.

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