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Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya returned to action after recovering from back spasms for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In a low-scoring contest, Pandya created an opportunity to dismiss Rovman Powell which was missed due to faux pas at deep square leg by Deepak Chahar and Robin Minz. Then, Manish Pandey rubbed salt on his wounds with two back-to-back boundaries. It led to Pandya venting out his frustration by knocking the bails of the wicket with force while walking back to his bowling mark. It led to a 10 per cent match fee fine and a demerit point for violation of Level 1 of the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials.
“Hardik Pandya was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.” the IPL said in a statement on May 21.
"Hardik Pandya admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee - Rajiv Seth," it added.
In the away match, Pandya struggled to score freely in the first innings, accumulating 26 runs from 27 balls. From two overs he bowled, he conceded 13 runs. MI lost the game by four wickets.
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Pandya was also seen frustrated when Minz and Chahar did not attempt the catch. He hid his face in his jersey while walking back to the bowling mark.
Pandya’s message before last game of the season
This was Pandya's first match after more than two weeks. He will be seen in action when MI go up against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on May 24.
“So, it's an ESA game. It's for the children. We just want to make sure that we come and get smile on those 25,000 kids and let them come and watch us play, and we entertain them, make them happy. I think it will be a lifetime memories for them,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation.
MI are currently placed ninth on the points table with nine losses from 13 games. They have lost four out of six games at home. They would like to avoid the wooden spoon to cap off a season marred with injuries.
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