A “black magic” controversy has ignited social media after a viral clip surfaced during the IPL 2026 meeting between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. The footage features an SRH supporter apparently carrying out a lemon ritual, with the moment gaining extra traction because it coincided with the dismissal of CSK batting star Shivam Dube. Adding fuel to the fire, an unverified message alleging that CSK had raised a complaint with the IPL also began circulating online.
Key takeaways
- A lemon-related “ritual” by an SRH fan went viral during the IPL 2026 match vs CSK.
- The clip drew attention because it matched the dismissal of Shivam Dube while CSK were chasing 194.
- An unconfirmed letter claiming CSK complained to the IPL has been shared widely online.
- Lalit Modi said similar practices had been seen previously and implied a team owner was involved in earlier instances.
- Modi also questioned the authenticity of the current CSK complaint letter, calling parts of the episode potentially fake.
What sparked the “black magic” chatter in IPL 2026
During the IPL 2026 contest between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, an unusual incident was captured on camera that many viewers interpreted as a form of black magic. In the viral video, an SRH fan holding a lemon appears to perform a ritual, and the timing of the act became the central talking point after it seemed to line up with CSK losing Shivam Dube.
The episode played out in the 17th over of CSK’s innings. At that stage, CSK were chasing a target of 194 and were positioned at 154/7. With Dube set and recognised for his ability to turn matches around, SRH were under pressure to secure his wicket and shift the momentum.
In the clip, the fan is shown picking up a lemon, rotating it while appearing to mutter something, and then gesturing toward Dube as he prepared for the next ball. Dube was getting ready to face a delivery from Sakib Hussain when the moment occurred. Shortly after, the left-handed batter was bowled, and the breakthrough triggered loud celebrations in the stadium.
Lalit Modi weighs in on the viral complaint and the “ritual” narrative
Along with the lemon video, an additional item began spreading across social media: an unverified letter alleging that CSK had complained to the IPL about the incident. Reacting to the circulating document and the wider controversy, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi suggested that such practices had appeared in the past.
Modi claimed that he had previously posted about an incident involving team officials and alleged that similar methods were used against the opposition in an earlier IPL season. He added that he had alerted the opposing team’s owners in the 2011 season after receiving what he described as concrete proof, and he said he would reveal details of those activities in future media content involving his team’s decision to disclose them.
In a separate post, Modi dismissed the present-day complaint letter, questioning whether it was genuine. He wrote that it “seems fake” this time, while also stating that he believed at least one team owner had engaged in this kind of practice in the past. Modi also reacted to the viral clip by framing the episode as potentially black magic, a coincidence, or simply misinformation.
