During IPL 2023 Match 22 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, a heated exchange occurred between KKR captain Nitish Rana and MI spinner Hrithik Shokeen. Both players have been punished for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, with Rana being fined 25% of his match fee and Shokeen being fined 10% of his match fee.
The incident took place in the ninth over of the first innings when Shokeen dismissed Rana at long-on; caught by substitute fielder Ramandeep Singh. Shokeen immediately looked towards Rana and said some foul words, which led Rana to stop and turn around to respond. This led to a war of words between the players, and Mumbai’s stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav and senior player Piyush Chawla had to step in to defuse the situation.
It is important to note that Rana and Shokeen are teammates in the Delhi side in domestic cricket but are not on talking terms even in the dressing room. This is not the first time the two players have had a flare-up as they have a history between them. Despite being on the same team, the players’ personal issues seem to have carried over onto the field.
Rana had an ordinary game with the bat, falling for five off 10 balls. On the other hand, Shokeen was a busy player, taking a sharp catch to dismiss N Jagadeesan early on off Cameron Green at the cover point. Shokeen also returned with figures of 4-0-39-2, accounting for KKR all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
The fines imposed on Rana and Shokeen were appropriate consequences for their actions on the field. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding. This incident highlights the need for players to maintain their composure and respect each other on the field, regardless of any personal issues they may have off the field.
