(Video) Harmless? Kuldeep Yadav slaps Rinku Singh after DC’s loss to KKR in Delhi

Following DC's loss to KKR, spinner Kuldeep Yadav playfully shocked Rinku Singh by slapping him twice, leaving the KKR batter visibly embarrassed.

(Video) Harmless? Kuldeep Yadav slaps Rinku Singh after DC’s loss to KKR in Delhi

Kuldeep Yadav slapped Rinku Singh twice on live TV, embarassing the KKR batter. (via Hindustan Times)

Delhi Capitals spinner Kuldeep Yadav shocked everyone by slapping India teammate and Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh twice, following his team’s defeat to the defending IPL champions. The incident, while it seemed playful, left Rinku Singh embarrassed as he was taken aback.

High-flying DC faced off against KKR in a tense IPL encounter, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Batting first, Kolkata posted a massive total of 204 runs in their 20 overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, top-scored for the defending champions with a knock off 44 runs off 32 balls. In response, DC managed to score 190 runs for the loss of nine wickets, falling 14 runs short of the target.

An incident involving Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh, after the match is what caught fans’ attention. In a post-match clip that went viral on social media, Kuldeep Yadav was caught slapping Rinku Singh right on his face on live TV, twice. The two players were initially seen sharing a laugh with a few others on the pitch. However, out of nowhere, Yadav shockingly slapped Rinku, likely in a playful manner.

The KKR star was taken aback by the DC spinner’s gesture. Kuldeep did not stop there, and slapped Rinku once again. Kuldeep’s second hit did not not sit well with the 27-year-old, who was seemingly left enraged and embarrassed and had a serious word with his Indian teammate. The context behind Yadav’s sudden act remains unknown. It however, left cricket fans in splits, while some labeled Kuldeep’s behavior as ‘shameful’. A few others urged the BCCI to ban to ban the left-arm wrist spinner, from the IPL.

The two players do share a great bond, having played for the Indian T20 team as well as the Uttar Pradesh domestic team, together. Kolkata Knight Riders’ official social media account cleared the air surrounding the incident, noting that the on-field incident between Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh was just ‘harmless’ fun. Delhi Capitals’ also clarified the controversy surrounding the incident, on social media.

KKR shared a video of the incident, while clarifying that the duo enjoyed each other’s company on the pitch and that they share a great camaraderie. They also urged the media to stop sensationalising the news, while trying to show the two players smiling and chatting, after the brawl. Moreover, it reminded many of the 2008 IPL slap row, involving former players Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth.

In a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in the inaugural IPL season, Sreesanth, playing for Punjab, was slapped by Mumbai’s stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh, while the players were walking off the field. Singh was later handed a fine and an 11-match ban for the act. 

Daren Ganga criticizes Axar Patel’s captaincy after KKR loss, cites Kuldeep Yadav’s unfinished spell

Ex-West Indies skipper-turned commentator Daren Ganga criticized Delhi Capitals’ skipper Axar Patel’s handling of Kuldeep Yadav’s overs, while citing that the spinner should have completed his bowling quota. Ganga’s comments came after DC suffered its second straight home defeat to KKR. 

Darren Ganga on Kuldeep Yadav
Daren Ganga questioned DC skipper Axar Patel’s strategy to not utilize all of Kuldeep Yadav’s overs. (via News 18)

Against the reigning champions, Axar Patel only used Kuldeep Yadav’s three overs, as a result of which KKR went to breach the 200-run mark. The 30-year-old was also not introduced inside the powerplay, and was brought in to bowl as late as the 11th over. Ganga noted that Axar should have used Kuldeep Yadav upfront and exhausted his four-over quota, with the KKR batters taking on the other DC bowlers.

Kuldeep [Yadav] not finishing his spell to me was a bit of a missed opportunity. When you have a bowler like him, regardless of the day he’s having, I’d like to see him exhaust his full complement of overs.

Daren Ganga on Axar Patel’s strategy for Kuldeep Yadav (H/T ESPN)

Moreover, Ganga also pointed to the trend in the IPL this season, with teams reluctant to use wrist-spinners in the powerplay. Nonetheless, Kuldeep Yadav finished his three-over spell against his former side, with figures of 0/27.