T20 WC 2026: DRS Glitch, Bottle Attack & More – IND vs. SA Rivalry Has Its Share of Controversies

The India versus South Africa rivalry may not be as hyped and heated as India versus PAK or Australia, but the two sides have witnessed tensions on a few occasions

When it comes to heated rivalries, there is no doubt India shares an ugly relationship with PAK on the field, whereas versus Australia and England, verbal exchanges take place often. However, the India versus South Africa rivalry, although competitive, has been more about mutual respect and discipline in line with the rules & regulations and courtesies of the gentlemen's game. Having said that, the two teams have witnessed their share of controversies, at times because of their theatrics or because of external circumstances.

Note that in the following listicle, we have included controversies from all formats of the game.

Bottle attack in Barabati

In a T20I match in 2015, India had one of its worst batting performances ever against South Africa. Batting first, the entire Indian team line-up was folded for 92 runs, because of which the Barabati crowd got angry and threw bottles at the players on the field. Bottle attacks were carried out in multiple phases, because of which interruptions became the norm, but ultimately, Africa chased the target and won the game.

Surprisingly, a calm skipper, Dhoni, reacted to the incident by saying, “The reaction of the crowd, you know, we didn't play well, so at times you get reactions like this. It's only the first bottle. After that they start throwing for fun. We shouldn't read too much into it.”

No DRS for India

In 2023 during the third T20I game between India and South Africa, the DRS stopped working in the second innings when South Africa was batting. Although India won the game, Jadeja’s clear dismissal of David Miller was denied by the umpire and could not be checked due to the unavailability of DRS. Many called the game unfair, but at the end of the day, India won.

Greatest catch or not

We all know what happened two years ago when India and South Africa played the T20 World Cup final against each other. David Miller, the final hope for South Africa, was poised to steal the victory from India. However, a miraculous catch by Suryakumar Yadav sealed the fate in India’s favour. While one section of the cricket fraternity had no issue with the catch, another section questioned whether Yadav had touched the boundary rope. Fortunately, several camera angles clarified the situation.

100th wicket confusion

Last year when Jasprit Bumrah picked his 100th T20I wicket, the moment became controversial. The dismissal of Dewald Brevis by Bumrah was simple, yet the on-field umpire went to the third umpire to check if Bumrah had overstepped. Following tense moments, the decision favoured Bumrah.

Bauna remark

Last but not least, in a Test match between the two sides last November, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were caught body shaming Temba Bavuma for his short height. During an LBW appeal, Pant and Bumrah were caught saying, “Bauna bhi toh hain yeh (He is a dwarf)” which gained severe criticism as many pointed that the line between insult and banter should be understood.

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