Jonty Rhodes Slams Hyderabad Crowd: 'They Hit Prerak Mankad On The Head By Nuts And Bolts'

Following the unruly behavior of the Hyderabad crowd towards the visiting Lucknow Super Giants, renowned Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar vehemently criticized the Hyderabad Cricket Association for providing inadequate team dugouts that fail to offer adequate protection for players.

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Unpleasant incidents marred the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) versus Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) match in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) on a Saturday afternoon.

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The unruly behavior of the local crowd ensued when a no-ball decision was overturned by the third umpire during the 19th over of the SRH innings, resulting in their team being denied a run.

Initially, the crowd resorted to chanting ‘Kohli, Kohli’ in an attempt to unsettle LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir, and then allegedly proceeded to throw objects at the Lucknow dugout.

Subsequently, Jonty Rhodes, the fielding coach of LSG, took to Twitter to confirm that the Hyderabad crowd had thrown nuts and bolts at the players, including domestic all-rounder Prerak Mankad.

In response to a Twitter user’s claim of an attack on LSG players with nuts and bolts by SRH fans, Jonty Rhodes quote-retweeted and clarified on his Twitter account, stating, “Not at the dugout, but at the players. They struck Prerak Mankad on the head while he was fielding at long-on.”

Sunil Gavaskar, the esteemed Indian cricket legend, expressed his dismay at the behavior of the Hyderabad crowd during the IPL match, where LSG players were compelled to vacate their dugout and seek safety elsewhere, resulting in a temporary halt of the game.

Gavaskar also criticized the Hyderabad Cricket Association for their failure to provide players with adequate protection through proper dugouts.

He questioned the absence of sturdy flexi-glass panels commonly found in most dugouts, instead highlighting the presence of makeshift arrangements resembling beach umbrellas.

Gavaskar urged the Hyderabad Cricket Association to address this issue promptly and ensure the provision of appropriate and secure dugout facilities.

The crowd persisted with their chants of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ in an attempt to unsettle LSG mentor Gambhir.

This animosity stemmed from the previous clash between LSG and RCB, where Kohli and Gambhir were engaged in a heated confrontation.