Ravi Bishnoi took four wickets in the final against Bangladesh but India ended up second-best in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
New Delhi:
The ICC Under-19 World Cup final clash between India and Bangladesh witnessed a high-voltage encounter that witnessed aggression, emotion and plenty of hostility. In the end, Bangladesh created history as they defeated India by three wickets to win their maiden ICC title as they clinched the Under-19 World Cup in Potchefstroom. However, during the course of the celebrations, there was an 'ugly' altercation between Bangladesh and India cricket team players which resulted in a Bangladesh flag being damaged. Three Bangladesh players were fined while two Indian players received heavy fines.
The Bangladesh players who were punished were Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan while Akash Singh, the left-arm pacer and Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner were the Indian players to be sanctioned. Ravi Bishnoi, who ended the tournament with a record 17 wickets and ended it as the leading wicket-taker, had all his work undone with the ICC sanction as he was handed two demerit points for using "language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter" after dismissing Avishek Das. In addition, he was also given five demerit points for the post-match incidents along with Akash.
Speaking to mid-day, Ravi Bishnoi's father Mangilal Bishnoi said he could not digest the fact that his son could do such a thing. "I wonder what happened to my son, because he is one of my calmest children (Ravi has two elder sisters and one brother). He explained the sequence of events and the circumstances when he lost his cool while trying to save his teammate, who was being attacked by the Bangladeshi player. My wife has not eaten anything since yesterday," Ravi Bishnoi's father said.
Following the end of the final, players from both sides got physical as soon as Bangladesh hit the winning runs. One India player apparently rushed to confront and pushed a Bangladeshi player who had allegedly said some disparaging words. More players got involved and the pushing shoving continued for about 40-50 seconds. Following the end of the match, Akbar Ali, the Bangladesh skipper said the incident should not have taken place and he apologised.
Three Bangladesh players and two Indian players, including Ravi Bishnoi, were sanctioned by the ICC. (Image credit: Getty Images)
"Cricket is known for being a gentleman's game. So I'll say, I’ll be sorry for my team. I don’t know what exactly happened. I didn't ask what was going on. But, you know, in the final, emotion can come out, and sometimes the boys were getting pumped, and emotions were coming through. As a youngster, it shouldn't happen. In any position, in any manner, we have to show the respect to the opponent, we should have respect for the game," Akbar Ali said.
Also Read | ICC Under-19 World Cup Final - Three Bangladesh, Two Indian Players Sanctioned For 'Ugly' Fight
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo after the match, India skipper Priyam Garg summed up the Bangladesh reaction. "We were easy. We think it's part and parcel of the game - you win some and you lose some. But their reaction was dirty. I think it shouldn't have happened. But it's okay," Garg said.
