Ravichandran Ashwin is not the kind of bowler who shies away from a sledge, a mean stare or in this case, a heated confrontation on the field. There have not been too many incidents to talk about so far in the 29-year-old’s career apart from the battle of wits he has had with Australian dasher Glenn Maxwell over the last couple of years.

In the Tamil Nadu Premier League, things spiraled out of control during a league game between Chennai Super Gillies and Dindigul Dragons on Thursday. The Gillies had set the Dragons a formidable score of 173, masterminded by a brilliant 144-run opening stand between H Gopinath and Thalaivan Sargunam.

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During the Dragons' chase, opener N Jagadeesan had paved the way with a patient half-century but big hits were what his team needed. Looking to cart the bowler, R Sai Kishore out of the park, the batsmen holed out, and ugly scenes ensued. Sai Kishore and Jagadeesan nearly came to blows with the former being the perpetrator, shoving the batsman.

Ashwin tried to play peacemaker at the start but with emotions running high, the Dragons’ skipper also lost his cool and was seen mouthing some choice expletives in Tamil.

A furious Ashwin then started to vent his frustration at the bowling attack, belting the Gillies bowling with the help of his Rising Pune Supergiants' teammate, Murugan Ashwin. Going at nearly 10 runs an over, the Dragons fell short only by six runs in the end.

But one thing is for sure: do not let Ashwin’s normally unflappable demeanour fool you. Just like his multi-faceted game, he can channel his inner Virat Kohli too, when required.