New Delhi, 12 April (H.S.):
Delhi Capitals batsman Nitish Rana has been penalized for clashing with the umpire. He has been fined 25 percent of his match fee, and a demerit point has also been added to his record.
The incident unfolded during the 19th over of the match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), when DC player Tristan Stubbs was denied permission to change his gloves mid-over. Stubbs lost his wicket in that very over, prompting an agitated Nitish—visible arguing with the fourth umpire—from the team dugout. Rana had been sidelined from the playing XI after scoring 15, 0, and 5 runs in his prior three matches. At the start of the 19th over, DC needed 32 runs off two overs, with Stubbs as their sole hope, unbeaten on 60 off 36 balls. His dismissal sealed a 23-run defeat for DC.
Per the Indian Premier League (IPL) statement, Nitish Rana faces a 25 percent deduction from his match fee, plus a demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct for players. He was found guilty under Article 2.3, pertaining to using language that is loud and/or abusive during a match. Rana admitted his fault and accepted the sanction from the match referee.
In the match itself—the 18th fixture of IPL 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium—Delhi Capitals suffered a 23-run loss to Chennai. Batting first, CSK posted a formidable 212/2 in 20 overs. Sanju Samson anchored the innings with an unbeaten 115, while young gun Ayush Mhatre contributed 59, and Shivam Dube blasted a quick unbeaten 20 to fortify the total.
Chasing 213, Delhi Capitals crumbled to 189 all out in 20 overs. Tristan Stubbs top-scored with 60, followed by Pathum Nissanka's 41, Ashutosh Sharma's 19, KL Rahul's 18, and David Miller's 17. No other batter mounted a substantial knock.
Delhi Capitals' next clash is on April 18 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
