Kamal Ghorui
Rajasthan Royals pacer Nandre Burger has been fined 10 per cent of his match fees and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Match 32 against Lucknow Super Giants. The incident took place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.What happened?Burger was found guilty of using a send-off gesture after dismissing LSG captain Rishabh Pant. The act was deemed to be in violation of Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to using language or gestures that could provoke an aggressive reaction from an opponent.The left-arm pacer admitted to the Level 1 offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee. As per IPL regulations, decisions for Level 1 breaches are final and binding, leaving no room for appeal.Royals Dominate Despite ControversyThe disciplinary action came in a match where Rajasthan Royals delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat Lucknow Super Giants by 40 runs.Defending a modest total of 159, RR bowled LSG out for just 119 in 18 overs. The chase never really took off, with Pant’s early dismissal triggering a collapse. Only Mitchell Marsh offered resistance with a fighting half-century.Earlier, LSG’s bowling unit had done well to restrict RR, with Mohammed Shami striking twice in quick succession, while Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav maintained tight lines. For Rajasthan Royals, Ravindra Jadeja played a decisive all-round role. His unbeaten 43 anchored the innings after early setbacks, and he later contributed with the ball to break LSG’s resistance.He was well supported by Jofra Archer and Burger himself, who delivered key breakthroughs despite the controversy.The comprehensive win propelled Rajasthan Royals to second place on the points table, strengthening their campaign. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants were left to reflect on another disappointing batting display placing them 9th in the points table.
