Harshit Rana, the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) bowling hero in their nail-biting victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), was fined 60 per cent of his match fee for his animated send-offs directed towards batsmen Mayank Agarwal and Heinrich Klaasen during the match played at Eden Gardens on March 23. Despite his crucial role in securing the win by bowling a superb final over, the young Indian pacer's conduct on the field drew a penalty. Rana's fiery send-off towards Mayank Agarwal early in the second innings was followed by a similar display towards Heinrich Klaasen during the dramatic final over. Notably, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar even criticized Rana's celebratory gestures on commentary.
The official statement from the IPL confirmed that Rana had breached Level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the league's Code of Conduct. This resulted in a combined fine of 10 per cent and 50 per cent of his match fee for the two separate incidents. The statement further clarified that Rana had accepted the Match Referee's sanctions.
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"Kolkata Knight Riders bowler Harshit Rana has been fined a total of 60 percent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team's Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 23," IPL's statement read.
"Rana committed two Level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. He was fined 10 percent and 50 percent of his match fees for the two respective offences. Rana admitted to the two offences and accepted the Match Referee's sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding," read the statement from IPL," the statement further read.
While Mitchell Starc struggled for control, conceding over 50 runs, Harshit Rana emerged as a bright spark for KKR's bowling attack. The young pacer delivered a stellar performance, taking 3 wickets for just 33 runs in his 4 overs. He was even entrusted with the crucial responsibility of bowling the final over. Despite a shaky start, conceding a six off the first ball, Harshit remained composed. He clawed his way back into the game, dismissing both Shahbaz Ahmed and Heinrich Klaasen to successfully defend the total. His heroics secured a thrilling four-run victory for KKR at the Eden Gardens.
KKR will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 29 while SRH will lock horns with five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 27.
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