Delhi Capitals’ seamer, Mukesh Kumar, faces a 10% fine on his match fee post the team’s loss to Mumbai Indians, a defeat that has ended their chances of advancing to the playoffs in this year’s IPL. The sanction arises from a level 1 violation under Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which concerns the “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match.” Mukesh accepted the punishment handed by match referee Daniel Manohar.
Wednesday’s outing was not memorable for Mukesh, as he was on the receiving end of five boundaries and three sixes, culminating in figures of 2 for 48 over four overs. Particularly costly was the 19th over, where he leaked 27 runs, allowing Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir to help MI reach a formidable total of 180. The over tallied, 6, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4.
In the second innings, Mukesh was substituted for impact player KL Rahul, but DC’s batting faltered, crumbling for 121. Only uncapped players Sameer Rizvi and Vipraj Nigam offered resistance with scores of 39 and 20 respectively. Mitchell Santner and Jasprit Bumrah played crucial roles in curbing DC’s innings, taking three wickets while allowing only 23 runs from 44 deliveries.
Throughout the season, Mukesh has participated in 11 of DC’s 13 matches, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 32.63 with an economy rate of 10.11.
As Tom Moody pointed out, “DC panicked when they started to lose,” a sentiment echoed by Varun Aaron, who analysed the Capitals’ decline after a promising start to the competition. Although Mukesh’s individual performance this time was below expectations, the team’s broader struggles have also contributed to their current predicament.
Mukesh remains a vital part of the Capitals’ squad, and despite the setbacks, the promising seamer will surely aim to learn from this season’s experiences and come back stronger in future tournaments.
