In a dramatic on-field confrontation, South Africa Emerging pacer Tshepo Ntuli and Bangladesh Emerging batter Ripon Mondol were involved in a heated physical altercation during the second four-day match between the two sides in Dhaka.
On-field scuffle stuns viewers and players alike
The incident unfolded on Wednesday after Ripon Mondol launched a straight six off Ntuli. As Ripon walked toward his batting partner Mehidy Hasan, an apparent exchange of glances with Ntuli quickly escalated. The South African bowler then charged at Ripon, sparking a brief but aggressive scuffle.
Ntuli initially shoved Ripon before grabbing and tugging at the batter’s helmet. Umpire Kamruzzaman stepped in to intervene, but not before Ntuli took another swipe at the helmet. Despite the confrontation happening in full view of the South Africa Emerging fielders, no immediate efforts were made to restrain Ntuli—some players even appeared to move toward Ripon as tensions rose. Ripon eventually removed his helmet as the situation de-escalated.
The confrontation was sharply condemned by commentators on the broadcast.
“This is extreme, this is unacceptable. Normally we see verbal altercations in a cricket field but we don’t often see a scuffle. Ntuli struck Ripon’s helmet at one point,”
— Nabil Kaiser, on-air commentator, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo
Just three balls after the altercation, Ntuli escalated matters further by throwing the ball back at Ripon following a defensive shot, forcing the batter to fend it off quickly to avoid injury.
Disciplinary fallout expected from both boards
Although no immediate disciplinary action has been announced, standard procedure requires the on-field umpires to submit an official report. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the match referee will forward detailed reports to both the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), who are expected to take appropriate action. The game was the final fixture of the South Africa Emerging team’s tour of Bangladesh.
Friction had been building throughout the tour
This was not the first flashpoint between the two sides. Tensions had already simmered during the one-day series earlier in the tour, particularly during the second match in Rajshahi. That confrontation led to suspensions for Andile Simelane and Jishan Alam, both of whom missed the third ODI.
South Africa Emerging lost the one-day series 2-1, and the first four-day game in Chattogram ended in a draw.
A sour end to the Emerging tour
The Dhaka Test was meant to close out the tour on a competitive note. Instead, it may be remembered for the on-field chaos that broke out between Ntuli and Ripon—an episode that has not only grabbed headlines but could also have disciplinary consequences beyond this series.
With both boards expected to review the incident thoroughly, repercussions could follow for the players involved, casting a shadow over an otherwise closely fought series between two promising developmental sides.
Things got out of control between Tshepo Ntuli and Ripon Mondol during the SA Emerging vs Bangladesh Emerging match today and the umpires were forced to intervene pic.twitter.com/EhYC6KVj4u
— Werner (@Werries_) May 28, 2025
