Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Harshit Rana has found himself in hot water, receiving a fine for violating level 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct. The incident occurred during KKR’s recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on March 23, where they secured a narrow four-run victory under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. Rana’s aggressive send-offs to opposing batsmen resulted in disciplinary action.
In a statement released by the IPL, it was revealed that Harshit Rana was fined 60 per cent of his match fees for two level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the Code. The fines amounted to 10 per cent and 50 per cent for each offence, respectively. Rana accepted the sanctions imposed by the Match Referee, acknowledging his breach of conduct during the game.
“Kolkata Knight Riders bowler Harshit Rana has been fined a total of 60 per cent 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,” stated the IPL release.
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Rana’s aggressive behaviour was evident in his send-offs to Mayank Agarwal and Heinrich Klaasen, both of whom were dismissed during the match. After dismissing Mayank, Rana blew a kiss, eliciting a reaction from the batsman. Similarly, he displayed similar behaviour towards Klaasen, who was dismissed for a blistering 63 off 29 balls.
Harshit Rana got 60% fine 😳 but at the end KKR got 2 crucial points #Klaasen #KKRvsSRH #HarshitRana #GTvMI #MIvsGT #HardikPandyapic.twitter.com/4fVr8a5AHS
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) March 24, 2024
Despite the controversy surrounding Rana’s conduct, his performance on the field was commendable. The young pacer played a pivotal role in KKR’s victory, taking three crucial wickets and conceding 33 runs in his four-over spell. Notably, his contributions were crucial in the face of Mitchell Starc’s expensive bowling spell.
Rana’s standout moment came in the final over of the match, where he successfully defended 13 runs to secure the win for KKR. Despite conceding a six off the first ball, he maintained his composure and dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed and Klaasen, ultimately clinching victory for his team.
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With this win, KKR climbed to third place in the points table, accumulating 2 points with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.200. As they gear up to face the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next encounter, Rana’s disciplinary issue serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining sportsmanship and professionalism on the field.
