IPL 9: Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli hit with fine

Bengaluru: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir was fined 15 per cent of his match fee after he kicked a chair during his team’s IPL victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore while rival captain Virat Kohli became poorer by Rs 24 lakh due to slow over-rate for the second time this season.

Kohli has now paid a total fine of Rs 36 lakh, having already been fined Rs 12 lakh for an earlier offence of slow over-rate. The penalty was doubled as this was the second time that his bowlers failed to maintain the over-rate.

According to an IPL media release: “Gautam Gambhir from the Kolkata Knight Riders team was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct during his teams match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last evening.

“Mr Gambhir admitted the Level 1 offence (Article 2.1.8) of abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match. For Level 1 breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding.”

The TV replays showed Gambhir kicking a chair in the dug-out in violent fashion after Suryakumar Yadav hit a boundary, even as the outburst elicited puzzlement from the commentators who were trying to figure out what may have prompted this given the team was winning.