An unusual incident during a crucial cricket match has caused a stir that is way more than the boundaries of the cricket stadium. In an encounter between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League 2026, a spectator could be seen executing a ‘lemon ritual’ right before Shivam Dube had his wicket taken away. This unusual coincidence has led to intense discussions regarding the use of black magic on the cricket ground. Following the incident, an anonymous letter was circulated online, which claimed that CSK had sent it.
Amidst all the commotion, the former chairman of IPL, Lalit Modi, came into play. While he outrightly denied the authenticity of the viral letter, he hinted at the fact that these types of rituals might have been carried out in the past.
His remarks shifted the debate from a one-off incident to a broader question about past IPL episodes, as he added, “I remember I posted some team owner doing this to the opposing team. I even alerted the opposing team owners about this way back in 2011 season.”
Lemon Ritual Sparks Turning Point
This happened during the 17th over when CSK were batting. A fan was spotted holding something (a lemon) around and pointing his gestures towards the cricket ground. Soon enough, Dube got bowled out by Sakib Hussain with a delivery on the full.
Dube was the best batter of that time. Getting him out put more pressure on CSK. This video went viral with many believing that the gesture had something to do with his being dismissed. It is to be noted that there has been no connection found between the two events.
Match Overview and Momentum Shift
However, the game turned out to be very close. Chasing 195, CSK got off to a great start. They dominated the powerplay, and things seemed under control for them initially. But then, SRH responded well in their bowling spells, taking key wickets in the middle overs. Wickets at crucial intervals slowed CSK’s scoring rate.
Once Dube got dismissed, the momentum of the chase began to fade away. Pressure started building gradually. In the last over, SRH defended 18 runs, facing a no-ball threat. This tight bowling brought them victory as CSK scored just 184/8.
Ultimately, SRH won by a small margin. Nonetheless, the game is no longer remembered for its outcome but rather for a unique controversy that arose in it.
