Hardik Pandya will miss his team’s first match of IPL 2025 after MI were found guilty of not completing their overs within stipulated time-frame for the third time this season.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya’s IPL 2024 ended on a disappointing note with his team suffering a 10th defeat on Friday night. Additionally, Pandya has been ‘banned’ from playing his team’s next match after MI were found guilty of an over-rate offence during their 14th and final match of the season where they faced Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium.
Pandya has also been fined Rs 30 lakh for MI maintaining a slow over-rate against LSG.
“As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Pandya was fined INR 30 lakh and banned from playing the team’s next match,” the IPL said in a statement after LSG beat MI by 18 runs.
The rest of the members of the MI’s playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either Rs 12 lakh or 50 percent of their respective match fees, whichever lesser.
Pandya is the second player to have received a one-match suspension in IPL 2024 for an over-rate offense. Earlier this week, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant had to sit out from his team’s vital contest against Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he was suspended for his team not adhering to the over-rate offense for the third time.
DC had lodged an appeal against the ruling citing various reasons behind the delay but it was upheld. Later, Axar Patel, who led the team against RCB, revealed Pant wasn’t happy with the verdict.
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Since the match against LSG was MI’s last of IPL 2024, Pandya will in all likeliness miss the team’s opening match of the next season as part of the punishment.
It was a nightmare of a season for the five-time champions as they only managed to win four of their 14 league matches and finished bottom of the table.
