Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana was fined 60 percent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his IPL debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens. The IPL confirmed the fine in a statement, saying, “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.”
Rana was found guilty of two Level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct. The statement explained, “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.”
Despite the disciplinary issue, Rana had an impactful performance in the match, taking three wickets for 33 runs in his four-over spell. His efforts in the final over of the second innings helped KKR secure a victory.
In the match, KKR posted a challenging total of 208/7, with Andre Russell’s explosive 64* off 25 balls being a standout performance. In response, SRH got off to a good start but faltered in the middle overs. However, Heinrich Klaasen’s 63 off 29 balls and Shahbaz Ahmed’s quickfire 16 off five balls kept SRH in the hunt. Ultimately, Rana’s disciplined bowling in the final over ensured KKR’s victory as SRH fell short by a narrow margin.