NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders' fast bowler,
Harshit Rana
, has incurred a penalty of 60 percent of his match fees due to breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the team's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Saturday.
Rana's actions constituted two Level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, resulting in fines of 10 percent and 50 percent of his match fees for the respective breaches.
Rana admitted to the infractions and accepted the sanctions imposed by the Match Referee, whose decisions are final and binding for Level 1 breaches.
During the match, Rana's animated celebration drew attention as he dismissed Sunrisers Hyderabad's batsman,
Mayank Agarwal
, prompting controversy and criticism.
After claiming Agarwal's wicket with a bouncer, Rana exuberantly blew a flying kiss towards the departing batter, a gesture deemed inappropriate by many, including legendary Indian cricketer
Sunil Gavaskar
, who expressed disapproval during commentary.
WATCH:
"He should not have done that. Did the batsman do anything to him when he was hitting him for sixes? Cricket can be played without these antics. It's the age of television. I understand that. Celebrate with your teammates but no need for such antics for the opposition," remarked Gavaskar during the commentary.
Despite the controversy, KKR managed to secure a thrilling victory over SRH, with Harshit Rana playing a pivotal role in the final over. Rana's resilience and crucial wickets, combined with Andre Russell's explosive half-century, enabled KKR to withstand Heinrich Klaasen's onslaught and clinch a narrow four-run win.
Klaasen's blistering 63 off 29 balls, studded with eight sixes, nearly turned the tide in SRH's favor, but KKR's total of 208/7, anchored by Russell's 64 and Phil Salt's 54, proved to be just enough.
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