On May 24, Rajasthan Royals (RR) faced a disappointing defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024, losing by 36 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Adding to their woes, RR’s Shimron Hetmyer was fined by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for violating the IPL Code of Conduct.
During the match, Hetmyer was dismissed in the 14th over by Abhishek Sharma, with RR struggling to chase a target of 176 runs. Following his dismissal, Hetmyer, in a fit of frustration, smashed the stumps. This act led to him being found guilty of a Level 1 offence under the IPL Code of Conduct. He was subsequently fined 10% of his match fees after admitting to the offence.
In a statement, BCCI confirmed, “Shimron Hetmyer of the Rajasthan Royals has been fined 10 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the Qualifier 2 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on May 24.”
The penalty was imposed by Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler and the match referee for Qualifier 2. BCCI explained, “Hetmyer committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offence 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.”
Although BCCI did not specify the exact reason for the fine, it is presumed to be due to Hetmyer’s reaction after his dismissal at a critical point in the match. Known as one of the league’s top finishers since joining the Royals, Hetmyer’s continued presence might have altered the game’s outcome.
SRH set 176; Klaasen hits 50, Tripathi 37. Jurel’s unbeaten 56 leads Rajasthan’s chase.
Earlier in the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad set a target of 176, propelled by a 34-ball 50 from Heinrich Klaasen and a rapid 15-ball 37 from Rahul Tripathi. Rajasthan’s Trent Boult and Avesh Khan each took three wickets, with Sandeep Sharma adding two more. In response, Dhruv Jurel led the charge for Rajasthan Royals, remaining unbeaten with a resilient 56 off 35 balls.
Despite his efforts, the consistent fall of wickets around him saw RR restricted to 139/7 in their 20 overs. Shahbaz Ahmed was exceptional with the ball for SRH, claiming 3/23 in his four overs. Abhishek Sharma also contributed with two wickets in his debut four-over spell of the season, while captain Pat Cummins and T Natarajan took one wicket each.
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