Sledging has always been a part of cricket’s psychological warfare, sometimes harmless banter, sometimes boiling over into real tension. Over the years, fans have witnessed verbal battles as fierce as the game itself, from Allan Border’s mind games to Virat Kohli’s fiery exchanges.
On Tuesday, the spirit of sledging took centre stage again, this time in Pune, during a so-called “friendly” red-ball match between Maharashtra and Mumbai.
In a game meant to serve as a warm-up ahead of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, tempers flared when Indian batter Prithvi Shaw found himself in a heated face-off with his former teammate Musheer Khan. The altercation happened shortly after Shaw, representing his new team Maharashtra, had played a stunning innings of 181 off 220 balls, laced with 21 fours and three sixes. It was Shaw’s first match against Mumbai after his move earlier this year and he looked eager to make a statement.
But things took a dramatic turn when Musheer dismissed Shaw in the 74th over, caught at square leg. As Shaw began walking back to the pavilion, Musheer reportedly said something which didn’t sit well with the 25-year-old cricketer. According to reports, Musheer muttered a cheeky “Thank you” after taking Shaw’s wicket, a sledge that instantly sparked a reaction. Shaw stopped, turned back and was seen raising his bat towards Musheer before grabbing him by the collar in frustration.
What followed was chaos. Players from both the sides and the on-field umpire rushed in to separate the two as tensions flared in the middle. Eyewitnesses suggested that Prithvi Shaw had already faced repeated sledging from Mumbai players throughout his innings and the final comment from Musheer may have been the tipping point.
As Shaw continued walking toward the dressing room, things didn’t calm down immediately. He exchanged a few more words with Mumbai batter Siddesh Lad, prompting the umpire’s intervention once again.
After the match, Maharashtra skipper Ankit Bawne played down the incident, saying that such flare-ups are common during competitive practice games. He assured everyone that the matter had been settled between the players and that there was no lingering tension.
Still, the altercation has become the talk of domestic cricket circles, not just because of the spat itself but because it came from two players who once shared the same dressing room.
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