ICC Champions Trophy: Sri Lankan Upul Tharanga banned for 2 games over slow over-rate

London: Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga has been banned for the next two ICC Champions Trophy matches due to a slow over-rate in Saturday's opening loss to South Africa.

The suspension, handed down by the International Cricket Council(ICC) after Sri Lanka's 96 run Group B defeat at The Oval, rules Tharanga out of the match against India at The Oval on June 8 and Pakistan in Cardiff on June 12.

Sri Lanka fell foul of the rules after they took four hours and seven minutes to finish their overs during the South African innings.

ICC rules stipulate that teams should finish their 50 overs within three-and-a-half hours.

As well as Tharanga's ban, Sri Lanka players were fined 10% of their match fees for the first two overs and 20% of their match fees for the additional overs their side failed to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain also receiving two suspension points, the ICC said in a statement.

Tharanga pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing, the statement added.

The charge was laid by on-field umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar, TV umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth official Bruce Oxenford.