New Delhi: What has been a forgettable season for Mumbai Indians suffered another setback on Thursday when captain Hardik Pandya was fined for violating the IPL code of conduct during the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
Pandya was punished for clearly venting his frustration on the field during MI’s four-wicket defeat, a result that further summed up the five-time champions’ miserable campaign in IPL 2026.
According to an official statement from the IPL, Pandya violated level one of the code of conduct regarding misuse of cricket equipment and ground fixtures.
“Hardik Pandya was found to have violated Clause 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct which relates to ‘Misuse of cricket equipment or apparel, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during the match’,” the statement read.
The incident occurred when KKR were chasing the fourth ball of the 10th over when Pandya, while returning to run-up, knocked the stumps off the stumps with force.
The MI captain admitted his crime and accepted the penalty from match referee Rajiv Seth. In addition to the fine, Pandya was also deducted one point. Accumulating 4 to 7 points in the IPL may result in a one-match suspension.
Another frustrating night for Mumbai Indians
Disciplinary issues capped another disappointing night for Mumbai Indians, who have been knocked out of the playoffs.
MI defended to a total of 147/8 on a tricky Eden Gardens pitch but failed to keep their cool as KKR chased down the target with 7 balls remaining to stay alive in the playoff race.
Pandya later admitted that Mumbai’s batting and fielding errors continued to plague the team throughout the season.
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“As a batting group, we were really 20 runs short,” Pandya said after the match. “I think all season long, our defense has been poor. We’ve given up a lot of catches. If you want to win games, you need to take every opportunity, even half of them.”
MI’s disappointing season has seen them win just four games this season, with their last league game coming against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.