Mumbai Indians‘ woes continue on and off the field. Captain Hardik Pandya has been hit with a hefty fine of ₹24 lakh for his team’s second offense of slow over-rate in the IPL 2024 season. This comes after their disappointing four-wicket defeat against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Double Trouble: Repeat Offenders and Heavy Fines
The IPL’s official statement confirmed Pandya’s punishment. “Mr. Hardik Pandya, Captain, Mumbai Indians has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 48 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants on April 30, 2024,” the statement said.
Since this is Mumbai Indians’ second slow over-rate offense this season, the penalty for Pandya is steeper. “As it was his team’s second offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined INR 24 Lac,” the IPL added.
The remaining members of the Mumbai Indians playing XI, including the Impact Player, have also been penalized. “The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 6 Lac or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser,” the statement concluded.
MI’s Season in Disarray: Batting Woes and Fielding Lapses
This latest incident adds to the pressure on the Mumbai Indians, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table. Their batting woes continued against Lucknow, with a top-order collapse leaving them reeling at 27/4 after just 5.2 overs. While a partial recovery from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma provided some hope, they could only manage a below-par total of 144/7.
The Lucknow Super Giants chased down the target with relative ease, securing their sixth win of the season and solidifying their position in third place. While their openers fell cheaply, a solid partnership between skipper KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis steered them towards victory. Stoinis, in particular, impressed with a well-paced half-century (62 off 45 balls) that took the game away from Mumbai Indians.
With a string of defeats and now facing financial penalties for slow over-rate, Mumbai Indians have a mountain to climb if they want to salvage their IPL 2024 campaign. Their next match is against the formidable Gujarat Titans, and they will need a significant turnaround in both batting and fielding discipline to get back on track.
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