New Delhi, 21 May (H.S.): Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined 10 percent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders. One demerit point has also been added to his disciplinary record.
According to an IPL statement, the incident occurred during Wednesday’s match at Eden Gardens. Hardik Pandya was found guilty of violating Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to the misuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment, or fixtures during a match.
The incident took place after the fourth ball of the 10th over in the second innings, when Hardik was seen angrily striking the wicket bails while returning to his run-up. Match referee Rajeev Seth took note of the incident and imposed the penalty. Hardik accepted the offence and the sanction imposed on him.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians by four wickets to keep their playoff hopes alive. Batting first, Mumbai Indians posted 147/8 in 20 overs. Hardik Pandya scored 26 runs, Tilak Varma contributed 20, while Corbin Bosch remained unbeaten on 32 off 18 balls.
In reply, KKR chased down the target in 18.5 overs, scoring 148/6. Manish Pandey played a crucial innings of 45 runs off 33 balls, while Rovman Powell added 40 runs. Their 64-run partnership proved decisive in turning the match in KKR’s favour. Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 9 to guide the team home.
For Mumbai Indians, Corbin Bosch claimed three wickets but could not prevent the defeat. Manish Pandey was named Player of the Match for his impressive batting performance.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
