Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians, has been fined 10 percent of his match fee and handed one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct during MI’s IPL 2026 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, May 20.
The incident took place on the fourth ball of the 10th over in KKR’s innings, when the 32-year-old struck the stumps with force while returning to his run-up, knocking the bails off. Pandya accepted the charge of ‘abusive’ conduct, after which match referee Rajiv Seth handed down the penalty. It stated:
“Hardik Pandya was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.’” [via IPL]
Speaking about the match, the visitors managed 147/8 in 20 overs after being put in to bat, with Corbin Bosch leading the scoring with an unbeaten 32 off 18 deliveries.
Chasing the target, Manish Pandey (45 off 33) and Rovman Powell (40 off 30) made key contributions as Kolkata Knight Riders registered a four-wicket victory with seven balls remaining to stay in contention for the playoffs.
Hardik Pandya Struggles To Make An Impact In IPL 2026 Campaign
Mumbai Indians have had a disappointing IPL 2026 season, currently placed ninth in the standings with only eight points from 13 matches after registering just four victories. Captain Hardik Pandya has also failed to meet expectations, managing 172 runs in nine games at an average of 21.50 and a strike rate of 128.35, with a highest score of 40.
The all-rounder’s bowling returns have also been underwhelming, with only four wickets from nine innings at an average of 64.75 and a strike rate of 34.0, while leaking runs at an economy rate of 11.42. Mumbai will play their final league-stage fixture against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, May 24.
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