Harshit Rana Receives Demerit for Dewald Brevis Send-Off in IND vs SA
Harshit Rana has been penalized with a demerit point for his unsportsmanlike conduct towards Dewald Brevis during the first One Day International (ODI) between India and South Africa. This incident occurred in Ranchi on Sunday and was deemed a violation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct.
Incident Details
The ICC issued a statement regarding Rana’s actions on Wednesday, coinciding with the day of the second ODI. The disciplinary breach falls under Article 2.5 of the code, which pertains to the use of language, actions, or gestures that may incite aggression from players. This incident marks Rana’s first offence in 24 months.
Consequences of the Breach
A level 1 infringement like Rana’s carries specific penalties. These include:
- An official reprimand
- A potential fine of up to 50% of the player’s match fee
- One or two demerit points added to the player’s record
Context of the Match
This incident took place during the 22nd over of South Africa’s innings, while chasing a target of 349 runs. Rana dismissed Brevis, who was part of a strong partnership with Matthew Breetzke. Brevis’s departure was significant, as South Africa was at 130 runs at that point, aiming for victory.
Match Performance
In the same match, Rana had earlier taken the wickets of Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock, finishing with impressive bowling figures of 3 for 65. Earlier in the innings, Virat Kohli had made headlines by scoring 135 runs from 120 balls, marking his 52nd ODI century.
The match commenced with South Africa winning the toss and opting to field first. Rana accepted the charge levied against him by the on-field umpires, which included Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, along with third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.
