S Sreesanth, 3 Indian cricketers who got banned from IPL for unexpected reasons (Source: Twitter)
With the IPL 2025 being round the cards, a few interesting developments have taken place leading up to the eighteenth edition of the cash-rich tournament. The biggest point of discussion is the case of Harry Brook, who has pulled out of the league due to personal reasons. Brook said that he wishes to prioritize playing for England, and hence, made the conscious decision to withdraw his name from the Delhi Capitals’ squad.
Subsequently, the English batter was banned from taking part in the IPL for the next two editions amid the newest rule that the IPL General Committee put forward before the Mega Auction in November. With this, Brook becomes the first English player to get banned from featuring in the Indian Premier League. But have there been any Indian players who were banned due to reasons apart from match-fixing or corrupt practices? Let’s discuss:
3 Indian cricketers who were banned from IPL
3. Pravin Tambe (2020)
The story of how Pravin Tambe made his debut in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals at the age of 41 is truly inspiring, as he still holds the record of being the oldest player to debut in the league. In 33 matches, he took 28 wickets at an average of 30.26 and is best remembered for his hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014. He was their highest wicket-taker in Champions League T20 as well. However, the way his journey ended was rather a disappointing one.
Having previously represented Rajasthan and now-defunct Gujarat Lions, Tambe was a part of the KKR squad in 2020, he did not make any intimation to the BCCI or the IPL office bearers regarding his participation in the Caribbean Premier League. He also featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 league without any prior notice, which is against the policies for Indian cricketers playing in the league. As a result, Tambe was banned from playing the IPL.
2. Harbhajan Singh (2008)
There is no doubt that Harbhajan Singh is one of the most legendary spinners of Indian cricket and has had a fairly successful IPL career as well. However, the 2008 season was not one of the best years for him as he was straight away banned for the rest of the season after the infamous slap gate controversy with S Sreesanth during a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). This was another on-field conflict the off-spinner would not want to remember.
Despite what happened in 2008 Harbhajan still went on to have great seasons and ended up with 150 wickets in 163 matches. He also went on to win four IPL titles, winning three with the Mumbai Indians and one with the Chennai Super Kings in 2018. Sreesanth and Harbhajan also played many games for India together and also won the 2011 World Cup with the Men in Blue squad. Both the cricketers have now sorted out the differences and share a bond of friendship.
1. Ravindra Jadeja (2010)
Six-time IPL champion Ravindra Jadeja made his debut with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008, winning the inaugural season with the side right after India won the U-19 World Cup. He also played for the same side in the following edition, but had to face a ban from featuring in the league in 2010. The reason for the same being that the Saurashtra all-rounder entered an agreement to play for Mumbai Indians without informing RR, which led to a breach of contract between the parties.
According to the rules, Jadeja needed a No Objection Certification (NOC) from RR before switching sides, which he did not follow, and as a result, faced a ban in 2010, where CSK clinched their first-ever title. The cricketer played for now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011 before joining forces with Chennai Super Kings in 2012. Apart from the 2016 and 2017 seasons, where he represented Gujarat Lions, Jadeja has been a vital cog for CSK and has even captained them in a few games in 2023.