Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, has been fined 20% of his match fee and given one demerit point for breaking the IPL Code of Conduct during a match against Lucknow Super Giants. The incident happened after he was given out for obstructing the field. Upset with the decision, Raghuvanshi hit the boundary cushion with his bat and threw his helmet in frustration.
The IPL confirmed the punishment in an official statement. “Angkrish Raghuvanshi, batter and wicket-keeper, Kolkata Knight Riders, has been fined 20% of his match fee and has also accumulated one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 38 against Lucknow Super Giants,” the IPL statement said.The league further explained the exact reason for the action. “Raghuvanshi was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.’ The incident occurred in the 5th over, when, after being given out for ‘obstructing the field’, Raghuvanshi struck the boundary cushion with his bat in an aggressive manner and subsequently threw his helmet into the dugout in a similar manner,” the statement added.Raghuvanshi accepted the offence and the punishment. Level 1 breaches usually lead to fines or warnings depending on how serious the act is.Despite the controversy, the match itself was a thriller. KKR edged past LSG in a Super Over after both teams scored 155. Rinku Singh played a key role with an unbeaten 83, helping KKR recover from a shaky start. LSG forced a Super Over thanks to a last-ball six, but KKR held their nerve to win, with Rinku earning Player of the Match.
