After ensuring his team’s victory over four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, Ravichandran Ashwin has been fined 25 percent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Match 17 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Ashwin admitted to the Level 1 Offence under Article 2.7 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding. It is to be noted that Article 2.7 states, “Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in a Match or any Player, Team Official, Match Official or Team participating in any Match, irrespective of when such criticism or inappropriate comment is made.”
Ashwin was charged for his comments in the post-match interview. The Rajasthan Royals spinner stated, “I’m quite surprised the umpires changed the ball for dew on their own. It’s never happened before and I’m quite surprised.”
He further added, “Some of the decisions in this year’s IPL on the field have left me a little flummoxed, to be honest. It left me flummoxed in a good or bad way because what you need is a little bit of balance. We’re going as a bowling team and we’re not asking for the ball to be changed. But the ball was changed on the umpire’s accord. What reason – I did ask the umpire but he said we can change it.”
Additionally, Rajasthan Royal skipper Sanju Samson was fined INR 12 lakhs after his side maintained a slow over-rate in the same match against Chennai Super Kings.
