India's tour of South Africa came to a disappointing end on Sunday (January 23) as the hosts swapped Team India to a 0-3 series defeat in ODIs, but the misery was compounded on the next day as International Cricket Council (ICC) fined the Indian team for slow over-rate. KL Rahul's side was found two overs short of the target when various time allowances were taken into consideration. Match referee Andy Pycroft has charged the Indian team for the slow over-rate offence. This will come as an assault to injury for the 'Men in Blue' after they were culminated to a four-run defeat in the final ODI.
"Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after KL Rahul's side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
"In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," a statement released by ICC read.
40 per cent match fee will be deducted from each member of the playing XI as per the ICC rulebook. The Cape Town ODI brought no change in luck for the Indian team as they faced a narrow four-run defeat, having already lost the series 0-2. The level of charge was confirmed by on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Bongani Jele, third umpire Allauhudien Palekar and fourth umpire Adrien Holdstock.
This is not the first time that Team India have been fined for a slow over-rate on the tour. Earlier, the Test side was docked off three points from the World Test Championship (WTC) standings for maintaining a slow over-rate. Rahul, India's stand-in skipper didn't make the best of the opportunities to lead the side as he was on the losing end in the second Test match in Johannesburg as well.
The Indian team can now make amends in the upcoming home series against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The wounds of defeat in the Rainbow Nation could be healed when Rohit Sharma's men take guard against the Caribbean nation in a three-match ODI and T20I series. The series will be the first time Rohit takes charge of the Indian ODI side on a permanent basis. Meanwhile, he is also the front runner for the Test captaincy which was vacated by Virat Kohli after the 1-2 Test series loss to Dean Elgar-led Proteas.
