Cricket is a game, which has given teams around the globe plenty of joy and happiness. A player celebrates victories and express the love and passion towards the game. The reason behind the success is their unity and urge to outclass the opposition on the field of play.
However, while the sport is a source of glee, teams also have had to go through some unpleasant situations a few times. Players have often been reported to enter into a brawl with the captain. Every character is different and having differences in opinions is pretty natural.
But at times, they have taken ugly turns and have tested even the calmest of players on the cricket pitch. A number of big names have gotten involved in controversies. Nevertheless, the occurring hardly undermined their cricket journey.
In the article, let’s took at five instances when a player entered into a rift with his captain: –
1. Sachin Tendulkar with Rahul Dravid

Back in 2004, India got over Pakistan by an innings and 52 in the first Test at Multan. Yet, there was a bit of gloom in the Indian dressing room. It was due to a brawl between Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, India’s stand-in-skipper.
In the first innings, Dravid declared India’s innings at 675 for five, leaving Tendulkar stranded on 194. Sachin wasn’t a happy man after missing out his double century. 10 years later, in his autobiography, Playing It My Way, Sachin revealed how he preferred to be left alone after what panned out.
The Master Blaster was a tad shocked by the decision and felt that it didn’t make sense. However, Sachin said that the incident didn’t affect their relationship. Both of them had some good partnerships and bid adieu to cricket as two of the greatest in Indian cricket.
2. Gautam Gambhir unhappy with MS Dhoni

In the fourth game of the tri-series in Australia back in 2012, MS Dhoni had something magical in store. With the visitors needing 13 runs off the last over, he deposited Clint McKay into the stands to help India win by four wickets.
However, Gautam Gambhir, the Player of the Match, wasn’t quite happy. The left-hander got 92 runs off 111 balls before becoming McKay’s victim in the 35th over. Gambhir said that India shouldn’t have allowed the game to go to the 50th over. Rather, they should have made light work of the chase.
In that match, Dhoni played the waiting game before teeing off at the fag end of the game. He scored 44 off 58 and saw his side through with Ravi Ashwin by his side. Dhoni’s ability of holding nerves under pressure also earned him with a whole lot of accolades.
3. Virender Sehwag’s rift with MS Dhoni

There have been plenty of talks regarding Virender Sehwag’s souring relationship with MS Dhoni. Back in the 2009 edition of the World T20, the talented opening batter went into the tournament with a shoulder injury.
It was learned that Dhoni wasn’t quite happy with Sehwag not informing him about the mishap. Dhoni even said ‘ask the physio’ when quizzed about his deputy’s update. Later, Dhoni turned up with the entire Indian team, and proclaimed its unity. Later in October, Sehwag talked about not being a deputy to Dhoni.
The Nawab of Najafgarh was ready to don the captain’s hat though. Even in the 2012 Australia tri-series, their relationship was affected due to the ‘rotation policy’ Dhoni employed. But later, Sehwag dismissed the rumours of any sort of rift.
4. Ricky Ponting’s brawl with Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds was talented, but his unruly behaviour created troubles for him plenty of times. One of such instances came during the 2009 T20 World Cup in England. In his book, Ashes Diary 2005, Ricky Ponting, the then Australian skipper, wrote about Symonds’ rough attitude before the infamous ODI against Bangladesh.
He wrote that Symonds was almost falling over at training. In the World T20, Symonds had to face exclusion from the national squad ‘for breaking team rules related to alcohol and other issues.’
Talking about the omission, Ponting said that Cricket Australia could not have done more for him. In his book, Ponting also stated how Symonds’ breath used to have smell of alcohol, which made the former’s blood boil. Though he didn’t show it, Symonds’ had the sense of it.
5. Sourav Ganguly criticising Rahul Dravid in Greg Chappell episode

Greg Chappell’s spat with Sourav Ganguly and the rest of the Indian team is an open secret. It was one of the darkest phases in their cricket as the Men in Blue were knocked out of the 2007 World Cup after the first round itself.
Back in 2011, talking about the same, Ganguly had some stern words in store for Rahul Dravid, who was a part of the Indian squad for the Test series on Australian soil. Ganguly, the BCCI president, said that Dravid didn’t have the courage and guts to revolt and tell Chappell that he was wrong.
Ganguly told that Dravid was a kind of character, who would wish for things to pass smoothly. The former Indian skipper also called Chappell ‘mad’ and said that Chappell never had the welfare of Indian cricket in mind and was focussed on implementing his plans.
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