In a highly anticipated IPL 2023 match between the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, the two teams were not only competing for victory, but also had to face disciplinary action.
Mumbai Indians' new captain, Suryakumar Yadav, was fined Rs. 12 lakhs for maintaining a slow over-rate during the match. While he scored a 25-ball 43, his team's slow over-rate was their first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct, resulting in the fine.
Suryakumar became the fourth captain to receive a fine for slow-over rate in this year's competition, following Faf du Plessis, Sanju Samson, and Hardik Pandya.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Nitish Rana was fined 25 percent of his match fee after admitting to a Level 1 Offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. Additionally, Hrithik Shokeen, the off-spinner for the Mumbai Indians, was fined 10 percent of his match fee after admitting to a Level 1 Offence under Article 2.5 of the Code of Conduct.
The Match Referee's decision for Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct is final and binding.
Interestingly, both Rana and Shokeen were involved in a heated exchange of words during the game. In the ninth over of Kolkata's innings, Shokeen dismissed Rana and subsequently had a verbal altercation with him. Rana, who was making his way back to the dugout, stopped and directed some angry words back at the spinner. The argument required the intervention of Suryakumar and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla to separate the two.
In terms of the game's outcome, Ishan Kishan scored a half-century, while Suryakumar Yadav roared back to form to negate a brilliant 104 off 51 deliveries by Venkatesh Iyer. The result saw Mumbai defeat Kolkata by five wickets, securing their second win of the ongoing season.