The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined India 80 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Bangladesh in the first ODI, which the visitors lost by one wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SNBCS) in Mirpur on Sunday, 4 December.
Ranjan Madugalle of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after India were ruled to be four overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
India captain Rohit Sharma pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Michael Gough and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel levelled the charge.
Coming to the match, despite having a line-up where batting resources were available till number nine, India had a disappointing time with the bat on a slow pitch, skittled out for a paltry 186 in 41.2 overs. K.L Rahul, who batted at number five, made a fine 73 off 70 balls as the rest of the batters fell around him.
India took a wicket on the very first ball in their defence of 186 and triggered a Bangladesh collapse from 128/4 to 136/9 in a span of 26 balls. But Mehidy Hasan Miraz made an unbeaten 38 and stitched an unbroken last-wicket stand of 51 off 41 balls with Mustafizur Rahman being ten not out to give Bangladesh a heroic victory.
KL Rahul Prepared to Don Wicketkeeping Gloves
Meanwhile, India's top-order batter KL Rahul is looking forward to continuing with his role of keeping behind the wickets in the remaining two One-day Internationals (ODIs) against Bangladesh here, with the 30-year-old saying he had done it before and would readily do it whenever the requirement arises.
"We haven't played a lot of ODIs in the last six or seven months, but if you look at, since 2020 or 2021, I have kept wickets in the one-day format, and I have batted at No.4 and No.5 in the middle-order," Rahul said after the match.
"It's a role the team has asked me to be ready for. I've done it before, and whenever the team wants me to play this role, I play this role," he further added.
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