Hardik Pandya, captain of Mumbai Indians, has faced disciplinary action in the Indian Premier League after breaching the tournament’s Code of Conduct during a match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Tournament officials fined Pandya 10 percent of his match fee and handed him one demerit point for abusing cricket equipment during the match played at Eden Gardens.
According to the IPL statement, the incident occurred during the fourth ball of the 10th over in Kolkata’s innings when Pandya forcefully knocked the wicket bails while walking back to his bowling run up.
Officials ruled that the act violated Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to the abuse of cricket equipment, ground fixtures or fittings during a match.
Pandya accepted the offence and the sanction imposed by Match Referee Rajiv Seth.
The match ended in disappointment for Mumbai Indians as Kolkata Knight Riders successfully chased down the 148 run target with seven balls remaining to secure a four wicket victory.
Pandya bowled two overs in the match, conceding 13 runs without taking a wicket.
Under IPL regulations, players who accumulate between four and seven demerit points during a season face an automatic one match suspension.
The defeat further added to a difficult season for Mumbai Indians, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention after managing only four wins in the campaign.
The five time IPL champions are scheduled to play their final match of the season against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
