Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has been fined Rs 30 lakh and banned for one match after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede Stadium on Friday in the ongoing IPL 2024.
This was MI’s third offence for slow over-rate, resulting in a one-match suspension for Pandya, similar to the punishment given to Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant earlier in the season. As MI ended their IPL campaign on Friday, Pandya will miss the team’s first match of the next season. If Pandya moves to another team for IPL 2025, he will miss that team’s opening game instead.
In addition to Pandya’s suspension and fine, the Impact Player and other members of the playing XI were each fined Rs 12 lakh or 50% of their match fees, whichever was lower.
An IPL statement read, “As this was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct regarding minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined INR 30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match. The rest of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each fined either Rs 12 lakh or 50% of their respective match fees.”
MI’s season ended with an 18-run loss to LSG at their home ground, Wankhede. It was a tough season for the five-time champions, with just four wins from 14 matches, finishing at the bottom of the points table.
In 14 IPL 2024 matches, Hardik scored 216 runs, with a highest score of 46. His performance declined early in the season, averaging just 18 with a strike rate of 143.05. With the ball, he took 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.75 and an average of 35.18.