Kolkata: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Mumbai Indians’ four-wicket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. The disciplinary action came after the MI skipper was found guilty of misconduct involving ground equipment during the match.
Action taken over on-field incident
According to an IPL statement, Pandya breached Article 2.2 of the tournament’s Code of Conduct, which relates to abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment or fixtures during a match.
The incident reportedly took place on the fourth ball of the 10th over during KKR’s chase, when Pandya, while walking back to his run-up, forcefully knocked the bails off the stumps.
Pandya admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Rajiv Seth. Under IPL rules, players accumulating between four and seven demerit points face a one-match suspension.
Mumbai Indians’ difficult campaign continues
The disciplinary action added to Mumbai Indians’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, with the team suffering another defeat during the match against KKR. Chasing a target of 148 runs, KKR secured victory with seven balls remaining and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Pandya had a quiet outing with the ball and later reflected on the team’s performance, stating that Mumbai Indians fell short with the bat and missed opportunities in the field. Reports indicated that he highlighted dropped catches and fielding lapses as key reasons behind the team’s struggles this season.
Season ends on disappointing note
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have already been eliminated from playoff contention after managing only four wins this season. The side is now set to play its final league fixture against Rajasthan Royals.
The latest penalty adds another setback for the Mumbai Indians captain during a season that has proved challenging both individually and collectively for the franchise.