Huge Relief For Ravichandran Ashwin And Dindigul Dragons In TNPL! Former India Offspinner Cleared Of Ball-Tampering Charges - Report

Tamil Nadu Premier League: Former India spinner and Dindigul Dragons skipper Ravichandran Ashwin has been cleared of ball-tampering charges by the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), according to ESPNcricinfo.

Previously, Siechem Madurai Panthers made big claims after their match against the Dindigul Dragons. The Panthers accused Ravichandran Ashwin-led Dindigul Dragons of tampering with the ball by using towels treated with chemicals during their last encounter on Saturday, June 14th.

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On June 14th, it was Ravichandran Ashwin's Dindigul Dragons who emerged as the winners over Siechem Madurai Panthers. In the 11th match of the TNPL, the Dragons clinched a nine-wicket win over the Madurai-based franchise at the SCF Cricket Ground in Salem.

During the match against Madurai Panthers, Ashwin played a 49-run knock from 29 balls at a strike rate of 168.97, helping the Dragons clinch a dominating win.

In a complaint to the franchise CEO, Pooja Damodaran, Siechem Madurai Panthers head coach Shijit Chandran pointed out that the ball's condition deteriorated during their innings, affecting the batters' performance.

"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 were as if they were hitting hard stone instead of a cricket ball," Shijit Chandran said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Shijit Chandran also claimed that the Dindigul Dragons players used 'foreign substances' to deteriorate the ball's condition.

"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 Quashes Ball-Tampering Claims

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While replying to the claims of Siechem Madurai Panthers, TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan confirmed that there were no evidence was found to support the ball-tampering claims.

"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," Prasanna Kannan stated in a statement.

Dindigul Dragons Hold Fifth Place On TNPL 2025 Table

Ravichandran Ashwin-led Dindigul Dragons hold the fifth position on the TNPL 2025 standings with four points and have a net run rate of +0.405 after two wins and one defeat.