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During a high-stakes IPL 2025 clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Wankhede Stadium on May 6, Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya faced disciplinary action by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a breach of the spirit of the game and minimum overs offence respectively. The rain-interrupted match, which GT won by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, saw Nehra’s conduct come under scrutiny, resulting in match fee fine and demerit points.
Reason why Gujarat Titans head coach Nehra was penalized
The incident took place during a rain delay when GT, chasing a revised target of 147 in 19 overs, needing 15 runs off the final over. Nehra, alongside GT player Rahul Tewatia, expressed visible frustration with umpires over the lack of communication regarding the resumption of play. According to IPL media advisory, Nehra has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. He admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.20 – which addresses conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, such as disputing umpiring decisions in a manner that undermines fair play.
Also READ: Hardik Pandya registers an unwanted record as Gujarat Titans edge past Mumbai Indians in a thriller
Why was Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya fined?
Meanwhile MI’s skipper, Hardik Pandya, was fined for maintaining a slow-over rate during the second innings of the game. 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 lakhs. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player and the concussion substitute, were each individually fined either INR 6 lakh or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.
Wankhede witnessed a roller-coaster amid rain break
The match 56 of the IPL 2025 was a rain-wrenched thriller with showers continuously stopping the game. GT did well to stop the explosive batting lineup of MI for just 155 after opting bowl first.
The visitors’ chase was disrupted by rain, leading to a DLS-adjusted target. In a nail-biting finish that went down to the final ball, GT managed to chase it down after a hard-fought battle – thanks largely to Gerald Coetzee’s late-game heroics. Among all the drama and frayed nerves many players including Nehra have lost cool and got the fine.
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