Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Harshit Rana has been fined a total of 60 percent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday.
“Rana committed two Level 1 offences under Article 2.5 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct. He was fined 10 percent and 50 percent of his match fees for the two respective offences. Rana admitted to the two offences and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding,” as per an official statement.
The fine was imposed on Rana for send-offs against SRH players Mayank Agarwal and Heinrich Klassen. However, Rana emerged as the match winner in the inaugural contest for KKR as he defended 13 runs in the final over.
KKR captain Shreyas Iyer’s decision to bowl Rana in the final over was criticized by the cricket fraternity but he showed his faith in the bowler and he delivered for the side.
Iyer also revealed that Rana was a bit nervous before the final over. “They needed 13 runs and we didn’t have the most experienced bowler. But I had the belief in him (Harshit), and I told him to back himself and it doesn’t matter what happens. He was a bit nervous coming in, and I just looked him in the eye and told him ‘this is your moment, buddy.’ Told him to back himself and doesn’t matter what happens in the game.”