Ashish Nehra Fined for IPL Code Breach During Thrilling Match

Nehra Penalized for Conduct Breach

Ashish Nehra, the head coach of Gujarat Titans, has received a penalty of 25% of his match fee due to a violation of the IPL Code of Conduct during the team's nail-biting last-ball victory against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Additionally, he has been assigned one demerit point for actions considered "contrary to the spirit of the game" as per Article 2.20 of the IPL's disciplinary guidelines.

The incident occurred during a dramatic finish marred by rain delays. With Gujarat Titans requiring 15 runs from the final over after several interruptions, Nehra was seen displaying heightened emotions near the boundary. Although the IPL did not detail the specific nature of his misconduct, it was confirmed that it took place in the closing moments of the match.

An official announcement from the IPL stated:

"Ashish Nehra, Head Coach, Gujarat Titans, has been fined 25 percent of his match fees and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. He admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.20 - which pertains to the conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game - 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."

This marks only the second occasion in IPL history where a coach has received a demerit point, the first being earlier this season when Munaf Patel, the bowling coach for Delhi Capitals, faced penalties following a Super Over victory against Rajasthan Royals.

Fines Imposed on Hardik Pandya and MI Players

In related news, Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya has been fined INR 24 lakh due to a slow over-rate, marking this as MI's second offence, which resulted in a higher fine. All players in the playing XI, along with impact substitute Karn Sharma, were fined ₹6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever amount is lower.

The rain delays during the second innings necessitated that MI complete their 20 overs within a revised timeframe. Notably, in the last over, Deepak Chahar had to bowl with a fielder inside the circle after umpires indicated a slow over-rate.