Hardik Pandya sanctioned after code-of-conduct breach

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined 10 percent of his match fee, and one demerit point has been added to his track record for breaching Level 1 of IPL's Code of Conduct during the IPL 2026 match against the three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. The incident took place during the 10th over of KKR's run chase when the all-rounder removed the bails while walking back to his run-up mark. He was found guilty of breaking Article 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which is about abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a Match.

KKR won the game by 4 wickets to stay alive in the playoff race in the ongoing 19th season of the tournament.

"We were 20 runs short in the end. If Tilak and I had stayed in the middle for a few more overs, there was a possibility of adding 15-20 more runs. We would have had a decent chance considering the nature of the pitch. I don't mind playing on the bowlers' friendly wickets. IPL has become a batting-dominated tournament," Hardik Pandya said.

"Bowlers are helpless, but the wicket for the KKR vs MI game was good for the bowlers, which allowed them to enjoy bowling and test batters. The willow holders need to work hard to score runs on such wickets. So I enjoyed it. We didn't field well throughout the season and dropped a lot of catches, which no one wants to do. I mean, if you want to win matches, you will have to grab catches. Even half-chances will have to be converted into catches," he added.

"When you drop catches, the games goes out of your hand. You want to finish the game season on a good note. It is for the children. We want to bring smile on the face of 25,000 kids and let the come to watch us play. We want to entertain them and make them happy. It will be memorable for them," he concluded. 

Hardik is on a sticky wicket as far as his leadership is concerned. He has led the Mumbai Indians in three seasons without success. The team management and the owners might sack him after the current season and replace him with Suryakumar Yadav or pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Hardik hasn't been able to contribute with the bat, ball and as a captain, and his struggles have exposed Mumbai against the rival teams.