Former India spinner and his team clears of ball-tampering charges

SALEM: Former India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin and his Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) team Dindigul Dragons on Monday cleared of ball-tampering allegations levelled by Siechem Madurai Panthers after an internal inquiry found no evidence to support the claims.

The controversy arose following the TNPL 2025 match in Salem on June 14, where Madurai alleged that Dindigul had tampered with the ball by using 'special towels with pre-applied roughening agent.' 

Madurai Panthers’ coach, Shijit Chandran, claimed the ball’s unusual wear had affected their batting performance significantly during the game.

Chandran stated in a complaint initially sent to the Madurai franchise CEO before being forwarded to the TNPL.

“The ball’s condition deteriorated rapidly during our innings, affecting our batsmen’s performance,” Chandran stated.

He further alleged that the towels used by Dindigul contained foreign substances, amounting to cheating and violating the spirit of the game.

However, after a detailed review, TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan confirmed that the investigation found no grounds for the allegations. 

“The towels in question were TNCA-issued and equally available to both teams,” Kannan said in an official statement. 

“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.”

Kannan further noted that the Madurai franchise failed to follow proper procedure, filing the complaint more than 24 hours after the game and not addressing it to the TNCA honorary secretary as required. 

Despite this procedural lapse, the TNPL reviewed the complaint 'in the interest of transparency and fairness.'

The league has given Madurai June 17 to submit any credible and verifiable evidence, such as videos or photographs, failing which the franchise could face disciplinary action under TNCA’s code of conduct.

The match in question saw the defending champions Dindigul Dragons comfortably defeat Madurai Panthers by chasing down 151 runs in under 13 overs, with Ashwin and Shivam Singh leading the charge at the top of the order.