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Virat Kohli (R) and Sam Konstas (L)
2024 was full of thrilling surprises and intense drama on and off the cricket field, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. From shocking results to heated exchanges between players, the year witnessed several incidents that became the talk of the cricketing world, sparking debates and controversies.
As we enter a new year, it’s a good time to look back at the most talked-about cricketing controversies of 2024.
Here are our picks
Kishan, Iyer Ignored For Central Contract
At the beginning of the year, top India cricketers Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan made headlines for the wrong reasons. Both were excluded from the BCCI’s annual list of central contracts handed to players. They failed to follow the board’s directive to play domestic cricket when not playing international cricket. Before ignoring the diktat, during the South Africa tour in December 2023, Kishan took leave citing personal reasons and later opted to train with Hardik Pandya in Baroda.
He returned to competitive cricket with the DY Patil T20 tournament but opted out of domestic cricket for Jharkhand.
Iyer was dropped from the Indian team during the home Test series against England and was expected to feature for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. However, he chose to skip a match citing shoulder issue despite the National Cricket Academy (NCA) declaring him fit. As a result, the BCCI decided to exclude him from the central contract.
That Rahul-Goenka Animated Chat
One of the biggest talking points of the IPL 2024 was a chat between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjeev Goenka and the then captain KL Rahul. After LSG’s defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial match, the Rahul and Goenka were seen engrossed in a deep conversation with the latter clearly unhappy.
The visual of them interacting created quite a buzz on social media leading to speculations that all is not well. LSG and Rahul eventually parted ways and the wicketkeeper-batter was picked by Delhi Capitals at the IPL 2025 mega auctions.
Rauf’s Scuffle With A Fan
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf was involved in a controversial moment during the T20 World Cup in June. The incident took place in Florida (USA) while Rauf was walking on the street with his wife. He got into a heated argument with a fan who said something that upset him. In a viral video, Rauf can be seen running after the person during the confrontation. At one point, Rauf is heard saying, “Ye pakka Indian hoga” (This person must be an Indian). The fan responded, “Main Pakistani hu” (I am Pakistani).
Kirsten’s Resignation As Pakistan coach
Gary Kirsten resigned as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams in October 2024, just six months after taking charge. The resignation came after tensions grew between him and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over selection issues. The PCB took away the coach’s power to make selections, handing it over to a selection committee instead. Kirsten was also reportedly left out of the decision-making process when the squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours were announced. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi clarified that it wasn’t the board that terminated Kirsten’s contract but the South African himself decided to end the association.
Law’s Sacking As USA head coach
Stuart Law, the former Australian batter and ex-coach of Bangladesh and the West Indies, was appointed head coach of the USA in April 2024. Under his leadership, the USA shocked Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2024 and advanced to the Super Eights. However, a few months later, the 56-year-old was sacked after players accused him of discrimination.
Kohli-Konstas Face-Off Sparks Outrage
The opening day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia saw 19-year-old Sam Konstas making his Test debut and scoring a brilliant half-century. But more than his fifty, his altercation with Virat Kohli took the centerstage so much so that the Australian media began taking potshots at the Indian batter. Kohli bumped the Australia debutant’s shoulder, which led to a heated exchange between the two players. The other Australian opener Usman Khawaja intervened. In the aftermath, Kohli was fined by the ICC for his act while the Aussie media labelled him as a ‘clown’ and ‘crybaby’.
