A messy scene unfolded during a cricket match between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. While Bangladesh was batting, things got heated when Ripon Mondol, a 22-year-old batter, had a confrontation with 29-year-old South African bowler Tshepo Ntuli. What started as some intense looks soon escalated into a brawl on the pitch, pulling in players from both teams.
The trouble began after Ripon hit a big six off Ntuli’s bowling, which clearly upset the bowler. As Ripon turned to head back to his partner, Ntuli rushed at him. They shoved each other, and things quickly spiraled into a full-blown fight. Despite umpire Kamruzzaman trying to step in, Ntuli yanked Ripon’s helmet multiple times. A few South African players also got involved.
There’s no word yet if any trash talk preceded the fight. Just three balls later, Ntuli threw the ball back at Ripon, who managed to deflect it.
This is extreme, this is not right. While we usually see some arguing on the field, this kind of fight is rare, said commentator Nabil Kaiser, as noted by ESPNcricinfo. The match referee will be sending reports about the incident to both cricket boards, and some action is expected to follow.