Watch: 9 of the most infamous on-field fights in cricket history
Cricket may pride itself on the ideals of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct, but every so often, that thin veneer of civility has cracked.
From verbal barbs to full-blown physical confrontations, sport has seen its fair share of ugly on-field clashes.
Whether driven by personal animosity, national pride or pure frustration, these incidents serve as reminders that even cricket’s calm exterior can erupt under pressure.
Here are some of the most infamous on-field fights in the game’s long and often fiery history.
1. Javed Miandad vs Dennis Lillee – Perth, 1981
One of the earliest and most notorious flashpoints in cricket came during Pakistan’s 1981 tour of Australia. Fast bowler Dennis Lillee, never shy of confrontation, deliberately blocked Javed Miandad while the Pakistani batter was running between the wickets.
Miandad responded by threatening to strike Lillee with his bat after the Australian kicked him. Umpires and teammates had to intervene before things spiralled further.
Both men were reprimanded, Lillee was fined for ‘conduct unbecoming of a player’ while Miandad escaped with a warning, but the image of the two squaring off remains one of cricket’s most iconic and shameful moments.
2. Harbhajan Singh vs Shantha Sreesanth – IPL ,2008
What happens when teammates lose their cool? During the inaugural Indian Premier League season, tempers flared after a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.
Punjab’s Sreesanth was seen smiling and offering what appeared to be sarcastic consolation to the losing Mumbai players, until cameras captured him in tears after allegedly being slapped by Harbhajan Singh.
The incident caused a national sensation. Harbhajan was banned for the rest of the tournament, and although both later reconciled, the moment became symbolic of how the IPL’s intensity could blur the line between camaraderie and chaos.
3. Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli – IPL, 2013
The fiery personalities of Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were always bound to collide.
The flashpoint came in a 2013 IPL clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. After Kohli was dismissed, he exchanged words with KKR fielders, prompting Gambhir, then Kolkata captain, to march toward him.
What followed was a heated shouting match between two Delhi teammates before Rajat Bhatia stepped in to separate them.
Both were fined for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct, and though they’ve since downplayed the feud, the footage remains one of the IPL’s most replayed altercations.
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4. Shane Warne vs Marlon Samuels – Melbourne, 2013
In the Big Bash League, legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne and West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels engaged in an on-field feud that quickly descended into chaos.
After Warne accused Samuels of holding up a batsman’s run, the two exchanged heated words. Moments later, Samuels hurled his bat in Warne’s direction after the Australian tossed the ball at him in anger.
The confrontation was widely condemned, with both players fined and warned. For Warne, it was an uncharacteristic loss of control late in a glittering career, while for Samuels, it became yet another entry in his long list of controversies.
5. Aamir Sohail vs Venkatesh Prasad – Bengaluru, 1996 World Cup
Few moments have encapsulated the fine line between swagger and humiliation as vividly as this one.
During a tense World Cup quarter-final, Pakistan’s Amir Sohail smacked Venkatesh Prasad to the boundary, then pointed his bat toward the bowler and the boundary rope in a taunt.
Prasad’s reply was instant and devastating: a perfect delivery that uprooted Sohail’s off stump.
The bowler gave an equally fiery send-off as the crowd erupted. Though not a physical fight, the exchange remains one of the most heated and unforgettable confrontations in World Cup history.
6. Quinton de Kock vs David Warner – Durban, 2018
The Australia–South Africa rivalry has always been charged, but their 2018 Test series took things to new levels.
CCTV footage from the players’ tunnel in Durban showed Australia’s vice-captain David Warner being restrained by teammates after a heated exchange with South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
Reports suggested Warner reacted angrily to a personal comment made by de Kock about his wife.
The footage of Warner having to be held back by Usman Khawaja and others went viral, symbolising the ugly atmosphere that hung over the series, which later became infamous for the ‘Sandpapergate’ ball-tampering scandal.
7. Kagiso Rabada vs Joe Root – Port Elizabeth, 2020
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is one of the fiercest competitors in world cricket, but his emotions occasionally boil over.
During the 2020 Test series against England, he dismissed Joe Root with a fiery delivery that failed to bounce as expected – Rabada responded by screaming directly in the England captain’s face.
The outburst earned Rabada a demerit point, and a one-Test suspension for accumulated offences. The incident reignited debate about aggression versus control in modern cricket, particularly among fast bowlers.
While this was not so much a fight, it was certainly a very testosterone fuelled engagement.
8. Inzamam-ul-Haq vs fan with a megaphone – Toronto, 1997
Not every cricket fight happens between players. During a Canada-hosted Sahara Cup match between India and Pakistan, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq lost his temper after a fan taunted him relentlessly through a megaphone, calling him “Aloo” (potato).
Inzamam grabbed a bat and attempted to confront the fan in the stands, prompting security and teammates to restrain him.
He was later handed a two-match ban. While the incident remains a source of humour for some, it also revealed how even seasoned players can lose composure under sustained provocation.
9. Ben Stokes vs Kemar Roach and Marlon Samuels – Grenada, 2015
England’s Ben Stokes has always played on the edge, and the 2015 Grenada Test against West Indies was no exception. After a heated verbal exchange with Kemar Roach, Stokes clashed again with Marlon Samuels, who mocked him with a salute after dismissing him.
The rivalry simmered for years, resurfacing during England’s 2019 World Cup triumph when Samuels reignited hostilities on social media. Their mutual disdain remains one of modern cricket’s most personal and enduring feuds.
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