indian-premier-league-ipl

4 IPL Teammates Who Were Involved in On-Field Altercation During International Games Ft. Former SRH & RCB Teammates

Darpan Jain

Last updated: July 15, 2025

4 min read

While IPL has definitely played a role in reducing the banter and sledging, things still get heated sometimes.

While there were plenty of heated moments and sledging during the Lord’s Test, one interesting snippet came when Harry Brook taunted Nitish Kumar Reddy on the final day. He reminded Nitish that this is not IPL, and he can’t score big here. Brook tried to have a mental edge over Nitish, who was under immense pressure and inexperienced in these conditions.

This is not the first instance where two IPL teammates went at each other in international cricket. While IPL has definitely played a role in reducing the banter and sledging, things still get heated sometimes, as they did in this game. Obviously, nothing remains personal, and they gel up once the match gets over or the IPL begins.

We look at four such incidents where IPL teammates sledged each other in international cricket.

Nitish Kumar Reddy – Harry Brook

As noted above, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harry Brook were involved in a banter during the final day of the Lord’s Test. Brook wanted to distract Reddy, who looked solid before an unfortunate end to his innings. So, the English batter was successful in the plan.

“Who do you think you are? I remember when we were with the Sunrisers, you didn’t say anything there. Jaddu needs to score all the runs. This is not IPL.”

Brook and Reddy were together at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2023. While Brook was later released, Reddy remained with the team and has become permanent in the XI. However, this cheeky banter highlighted how players can get under the skin of the opponent due to previous knowledge about them, thanks to the IPL.

ALSO READ:

Jasprit Bumrah – Marco Jansen

This incident is from India’s tour to South Africa in 2021/22, when Marco Jansen tried bouncing Jasprit Bumrah with a barrage of short balls in Johannesburg. After one of the deliveries, Jansen had an animated chat with Bumrah, and tensions escalated. The umpire had to step in and calm things down between the two.

However, the staring and chirping continued throughout the series, with both giving nothing to each other. In the next match at Cape Town, Bumrah bowled an unplayable delivery to Jansen and gave a cold reaction. He just stood there and looked at Jansen, showing how good he can be when irked.

pic.twitter.com/R1OCJ3EXW6
— Ram Chander (@stanvirat007) January 3, 2025

The two were together at the Mumbai Indians (MI) during that time, and Jansen played for them in IPL 2021. Later, he was released before the mega auction, so the two never really played with each other after this dramatic incident. But this again confirmed that IPL camaraderie often takes a backseat in international cricket.

Virat Kohli – AB de Villiers

One of the best mates on and off the field, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have known each other for several years now. They played together for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) between IPL 2011 and 2021 and shared numerous memorable partnerships. However, that didn’t stop Kohli from giving a send-off to his mate.

This incident is from the fifth ODI between South Africa and India when Hardik Pandya dismissed AB on a low score. As he was walking off, Kohli gave a fiery send-off to him and celebrated animatedly. He probably knew how big the wicket was and couldn’t resist.

However, this incident didn’t really have a notable change in the relationship between the two. They still get along well, and AB was also present on the ground when RCB won the trophy in IPL 2025. It’s unlikely that AB holds any personal grudge against Kohli regarding that send-off.

Harshit Rana – Mitchell Starc

Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc weren’t really involved in a heated argument, but the two had a cheeky banter. This occurred during the Perth game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, which was also Rana’s debut Test. Rana bowled a bouncer to Starc, and the Aussie bowler was quick to remind Rana of his capabilities.

“I still bowl faster than you, Harshit. I have got a long memory. How many bouncers do you have? 12?” Basically, Starc warned Rana that he should expect the same treatment during his batting turn. Eventually, Harshit dismissed him after a range of short balls and had the last laugh.

The two were together at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024. Both played a crucial role in taking them to the title. While KKR released Starc before the mega auction, Rana is still with them and has cemented his place as a premium bowler for the team.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.