New Delhi: It has been a season to forget for Mumbai Indians and captain Hardik Pandya suffered another setback on Thursday after he was fined for breaching the IPL code of conduct during his side’s defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.Pandya was fined after clearly showing his frustration on the field during MI’s four-wicket loss, further summarizing the five-time champions’ miserable IPL 2026 campaign.According to an official statement from the IPL, Pandya violated Level 1 of the Code of Conduct for Misuse of Cricket Equipment and Ground Fixtures.“Hardik Pandya has violated Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with ‘misuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match’,” the statement said.The incident took place on the fourth ball of the 10th over of KKR’s chase when Pandya, returning to his run-up, forced Bales off the stumps.The MI captain pleaded guilty and accepted the ban imposed by match referee Rajeev Seth. Along with the penalty, Pandya also got a demerit point. Accumulation of four to seven demerit points in the IPL can lead to a one-match suspension.
Another disappointing night for Mumbai Indians
The disciplinary case capped off another disappointing evening for Mumbai Indians, who were already out of the playoff race.Defending a modest total of 147/8 on a tough Eden Gardens surface, MI failed to hold their nerve as KKR chased down the target with seven balls to spare to stay alive in the playoff race.Pandya later admitted that Mumbai’s batting and fielding failures had plagued the team throughout the season.“Certainly as a batting group, we were 20 runs short,” Pandya said after the match. We have missed many catches. If you want to win games you need to get all the chances, even the half chances.”MI’s disappointing campaign has now seen them win just four matches this season, with one final league game remaining against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
