Kranti Gaud Fined After Fiery Send-Off in T20 Asia Cup Final
India quick Kranti Gaud has been fined 10 per cent of her match fee after a fiery send-off in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday, a flashpoint that cut through the tension of a title clash and drew the attention of the match officials.
Gaud was found guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct, a Level 1 offence that covers “using language, actions or gestures which disparage, or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.” She also received one demerit point, her first in a 24-month period.
The incident came almost immediately, in the opening over of Sri Lanka’s chase. Imesha Dulani, facing the first ball, audaciously lapped Gaud for four, a statement shot in a final. Gaud came back hard. Three balls later Dulani tried to repeat the stroke and perished, only for a fired-up Gaud to gesture towards the pavilion in a pointed send-off that crossed the line for the officials.
Match referee Supriya Rani Das proposed the sanction, which Gaud accepted on the spot, removing the need for a formal hearing and closing the matter quickly, at least from a disciplinary standpoint.
Pakistan penalised for slow over-rate
The final was not the only game in Dubai to leave a mark on the match sheets.
Pakistan’s semi-final against Sri Lanka also brought punishment, this time for a slow over-rate. Chasing 131, Sri Lanka got home in 18.4 overs, but the focus afterwards fell on Pakistan’s failure to get through their overs in time.
Once time allowances were factored in, Pakistan were deemed to be one over short of the required rate and were fined five per cent of their match fees. Captain Fatima Sana accepted the charge, which was laid by fourth umpire Rabab Ahsan, underlining how tightly the tournament has been policed on discipline and over-rate standards as the women’s game continues to push for sharper, cleaner contests on the biggest stages.
