TNPL dismisses ball-tampering claims against R Ashwin, Dindigul Dragons

Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been cleared of ball-tampering charges by the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) following allegations made by the Siechem Madurai Panthers against him and the Dindigul Dragons.

The Madurai franchise had accused the Ashwin-led side of tampering with the ball by using towels allegedly treated with chemicals during their match in Salem on June 14.

"The ball's condition deteriorated rapidly during our innings, affecting our batsmen's performance. You can hear the sound of every shot our batters played after the powerplay, which was as if they were hitting hard stones instead of a cricket ball,” Madurai coach Shijit Chandran said.

"We are of the view that the Dindigul Dragons team used foreign substances to alter the ball's condition, including using special towels with pre-applied roughening agent, which is unacceptable and against the spirit of the game, and amounts to cheating," he added.

TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan stated that no evidence of ball-tampering was found. He pointed out that the umpires and the match referee were closely monitoring the ball throughout the game which made the allegations purely speculative in nature.

"The towels in question were TNCA-issued and equally available to both teams. The Playing Control Team - including umpires and the match referee - maintained full oversight of the ball throughout the match. No concerns were raised during play, and no verifiable evidence has been provided. The claims appear speculative and post-facto in nature,” Kannan said in a statement.

"Should the franchise possess credible and verifiable evidence, they may submit a formal request for an Independent Commission of Enquiry by 3 PM on 17th June, along with supporting material (video, photographic, or testimonial)," he added.

Kannan mentioned that the Madurai franchise should provide concrete evidence to support their allegations and could face sanctions under the TNCA Code of Conduct and Operational Rules. He also pointed out that the complaint was filed more than 24 hours after the conclusion of the match which rendered it inadmissible. But, in the interest of transparency and fairness, the TNPL forwarded the complaint to the Honorary Secretary and conducted a review.