CHENNAI: Delhi Capitals (DC) batsman Nitish Rana has been handed a penalty and demerit point following an “audibly obscene” incident during the IPL 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, CSK captain Ruduraj Gaekwad was fined post-match for his team’s slow over-rate.
Rana, who was dropped from DC’s playing eleven after scoring 15, 0 and 5 in his first three outings, was stopped in the dugout when teammate Tristan Stubbs asked for a change of gloves while batting.
At that stage, DC needed 32 runs from the last two overs, Stubbs was unbeaten on 60 off 36 balls.
The request was rejected, prompting Rana to engage in a heated exchange with fourth umpire Anish Sahasrabude.
Things quickly escalated and DC’s hopes were dealt a major blow when Stubbs was dismissed in the third ball of the over by Jamie Overton. In the end DC lost by 23 runs.
Rana later pleaded guilty and was fined 25 per cent of his match fee with one demerit point on his disciplinary record.
Gaekwad, on the other hand, was fined INR 12 lakh after CSK were found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate, marking their first offense this season.
The CSK skipper became the third captain to face sanctions for the offense in IPL 2026 after Subhman Gill of Gujarat Titans and Shreyas Iyer of Punjab Kings, the latter of whom has already been fined twice this season.
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