MUMBAI: Captain Rishabh Pant was on Saturday fined 100 per cent of his match fee, while assistant coach Pravin Amre was handed a one-match ban for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Delhi Capitals‘ 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.
Besides the one match ban, Amre was also fined his entire match fees, while DC pacer Shardul Thakur too has been penalised 50 per cent of his match-fees, IPL said in a release.
The trio were penalised for their conduct during the controversial final over of the match in which Delhi Capitals required 36 runs to win on Friday night.
Needing 36 runs for a win off the final over, DC batter Rovman Powell hit three successive sixes from the first three deliveries, including the third ball which was a hip-high full-toss from Obed McCoy, to bring the equation down to 18 runs from the final three balls.
However, the DC camp demanded that the third ball be called a no ball for height with Rishabh Pant asking his batters — Powell and Kuldeep Yadav to walk out and assistant coach Amre stepping on to the playing arena to speak to the umpire.
Rishabh Pant admitted to the “Level 2 offence” under Article 2.7 of the IPL Code of Conduct and “accepted the sanction”.
Thakur also accepted the sanction for the “Level 2 offence under Article 2.8” of the IPL Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction.
Handed a one-match ban, Amre too “admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction.”
It started with Kuldeep, who was at the non-striker’s end, gesturing to the umpires to check for a possible no-ball on height after the third delivery. Powell joined in having a chat with the umpires too. But the umpires stood their ground, saying the delivery was legal.
Rishabh Pant looked livid and called Kuldeep and Powell back, while assistant coach Shane Watson tried to reason him out.
Amre then went into the playing arena but he was told to go back by the umpires.
RR legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal tried to stop Kuldeep from walking out, while Royals opener Jos Buttler, who hit a match-winning 116, was also seen having words with Pant near the boundary line.
Delhi Capitals’ Shardul Thakur can face BAN in IPL 2022, Check details HERE
The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals are going through a difficult patch in the IPL 2022. In their 7 matches played so far, DC have only won 3. On Friday (April 22), the ongoing bad season for DC got even worse when the players including Shardul Thakur and captain Rishabh Pant lost their cool in their clash against the Rajasthan Royals.
Clearly, Delhi Capitals are not playing upto their expectations and problems keep on occuring for them following the Covid cases in the camp as well.
On Friday, it just got worse when Shardul Thakur and his teammates lost their cool due to the no-ball controversy which took place when Rovman Powell was playing the last over of the match.
As a result, Shardul Thakur has been fined 100 percent of his match-fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his DC’s match against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
As per Level 2.7 code of conduct: “Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in a Match or any Player, Team Official, Match Official or Team participating in any Match, irrespective of when such criticism or inappropriate comment is made.”
In that regard, Thakur along with his teammates is lucky to have escaped a two match ban. However, he is fined his 100 percent match fee for his actions but as per the rulebook, he could have faced a minimum of 2 match bans.
Interestingly, a repeat of such incident by any of the offenders that have been fined already can cause a match ban of upto 6 to 8 matches.
The Level 2 offence as per rule book reads: “The imposition of a fine of between 50-100% of applicable Match Fee and/or a suspension of up to two (2) Matches.”
Clearly, Shardul and his teammates have to be careful with their actions now in the upcoming matches as they will face heavy consequences if they repeat such offence. Meaning, Thakur can get a match ban of upto 8 matches.
The Code of Conduct clearly says that if a player is already an offender before of the rule, he will face a match ban for upto 2 to matches.