Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson had to suffer a double misery on Tuesday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. After losing their first game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 61 runs, captain Williamson was also fined for a slow over-rate.
Williamson was fined INR 12 lakh after failing to complete the quota of overs in the specified time limit at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Notably, Williamson is the second skipper to be fined for maintaining the slow-over rate in the fifteenth season of the cash-rich league. Earlier, on Sunday, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma became the first captain in IPL 2022 to be slapped with an INR 12 lakh fine.
“The Sunrisers Hyderabad have been fined after they maintained a slow over-rate during their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 match against Rajasthan Royals at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on March 29,” said IPL in an official statement.
“As it was the team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to a minimum over-rate offences, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson was fined Rs 12 lakhs,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, after the match, Williamson said his team started on a good note, with pacer Umran Malik clocking the 150 kmph mark in the first over itself. But according to the 31-year-old, things went downhill for them after his bowlers sent a few no-balls and allowed the Royals to post a humungous total of 210/6 on the board.
In response, SRH could not tackle the scoreboard pressure and a display of top-class bowling by RR. The 2016 champions could only manage to reach 149/7 in 20 overs, losing the contest by 61 runs.
“I think we started beautifully with the ball. We’ve seen in all games there’s swing and assistance with the new ball – you have to try and make some inroads. We looked likely, but some fine margins. It was a good surface, and they are a difficult team to stop. For us, we need to look at it logically, and there are a number of things to improve on. That said, T20 throws some curveballs at you, got to get your chin up,” Williamson said at the post-match presentation.
