NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team's four-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday. The incident added to a forgettable season for the five-time champions, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Code of Conduct Breach
According to an official IPL statement, Pandya violated Article 2.2 of the Code of Conduct, which pertains to 'abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match'. The breach occurred on the fourth ball of the 10th over of KKR's chase when Pandya, while walking back to his run-up, forcefully knocked the bails off the stumps.
Pandya admitted the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Rajiv Seth. Along with an undisclosed fine, he received one demerit point. Accumulating four to seven demerit points in the IPL can lead to a one-match suspension.
Another Frustrating Night for Mumbai Indians
The disciplinary issue capped another disappointing evening for Mumbai Indians, who were already out of the playoff race. Defending a modest total of 147 for 8 on a tricky Eden Gardens surface, MI failed to hold their nerve as KKR chased down the target with seven balls remaining, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Pandya later admitted that Mumbai's batting and fielding failures had haunted them throughout the season. "Definitely as a batting group, we were 20 runs short," he said after the match. "I think throughout the season, we've been quite poor in fielding. We have dropped a lot of catches. If you want to win games, you need to grab all the chances, even half chances as well."
MI's disappointing campaign has seen them win only four matches this season, with one final league game remaining against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. The team will look to end the season on a positive note, but the focus will also be on addressing their shortcomings ahead of the next edition.
