Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Kolkata Knight Riders’ recently concluded clash against Lucknow Super Giants.

The incident took place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday, where Raghuvanshi’s on-field dismissal for obstructing the field was followed by a visible display of dissent.

“Angkrish Raghuvanshi, batter & wicket-keeper, Kolkata Knight Riders, has been fined 20% of his match fee and has also accumulated one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 38 against Lucknow Super Giants,” the IPL said in a statement.

“Raghuvanshi was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.’ The incident occurred in the 5th over, when, after being given out for ‘obstructing the field’, Raghuvanshi struck the boundary cushion with his bat in an aggressive manner and subsequently threw his helmet into the dugout in a similar manner. Raghuvanshi admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction,” it added.

The rare dismissal occurred on the final delivery of the fifth over of KKR’s innings. Batting on nine off seven balls, Raghuvanshi pushed a delivery from pacer Prince Yadav towards mid-on and initially set off for a single. However, he aborted the run midway after a call from teammate Cameron Green.

While attempting to return to the crease, Raghuvanshi changed his running line and was struck by a direct throw. Rishabh Pant and the LSG players immediately appealed, alleging obstruction of the field, prompting a review.

Third umpire Rohan Pandit reviewed the footage and ruled that the batter had deliberately altered his path, thereby interfering with the throw, resulting in his dismissal.

The decision left Raghuvanshi visibly frustrated. He was seen arguing with the on-field umpires before venting his anger by hitting the boundary cushion with his bat and flinging his helmet upon returning to the dugout. The reaction also sparked animated discussions from the KKR camp, with head coach Abhishek Nayar engaging in a heated exchange with the fourth umpire.

Raghuvanshi’s dismissal placed him in a rare list of IPL players to be given out for obstructing the field, alongside Yusuf Pathan (2013), Amit Mishra (2019), and Ravindra Jadeja (2024).

–IANS

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