Ashwin and Dragons Cleared of Ball-Tampering Allegations by Tamil Nadu Premier League

The Tamil Nadu Premier League is already facing controversy as one of the teams, Madurai Panthers, accused the Dindigul Dragons of ball-tampering during their match. The Panthers alleged that the Dragons altered the condition of the ball by using towels treated with chemicals during their game in Salem on June 14.

Shijit Chandran, Madurai’s head coach, sent a formal complaint to the franchise CEO and TNPL. In the complaint, he said, "The ball's condition deteriorated rapidly during our innings, affecting our batsmen's performance. You can hear the sound of every shot our batters played after the powerplay—it was as if they were hitting hard stone instead of a cricket ball.
"We are of the view that the Dindigul Dragons team used foreign substances to alter the ball's condition, including using special towels with pre-applied roughening agents, which is unacceptable and against the spirit of the game, and amounts to cheating."

The allegations, however, were found to be unsubstantiated. TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan stated that after a detailed review, no evidence of ball-tampering had been found.
"The towels in question were TNCA-issued and equally available to both teams," Kannan said in a statement. "The Playing Control Team—including umpires and the match referee—maintained full oversight of the ball throughout the match. No concerns were raised during play, and no verifiable evidence has been provided. The claims appear speculative and post-facto in nature.
"Should the franchise possess credible and verifiable evidence, they may submit a formal request for an Independent Commission of Enquiry by 3 PM on 17th June, along with supporting material (video, photographic, or testimonial)."

On Saturday, the Dragons thrashed Madurai by chasing 151 inside 13 overs with all ten wickets intact. This was their second win in the 2025 TNPL for the Dragons, who are also the defending champions, led by Ashwin.

Madurai lodged their complaint on June 14, which, according to ESPNcricinfo, violated the 24-hour complaint rule, said Kannan. They also failed to submit it to the TNCA honorary secretary, which is mandatory and hence makes the complaint inadmissible.

However, to ensure transparency and fairness, the matter was still forwarded to the honorary secretary and the Dindigul franchise and was thoroughly reviewed. Now the ball is in Madurai’s court—if they fail to provide proof of their allegations, they could face sanctions under the TNCA code of conduct and operational rules.