Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Harshit has twice been severely punished by the BCCI for his on-field celebrations during the ongoing IPL 2024. He was fined 60 per cent of his match fees for a flying-kiss send-off to Mayank Agarwal during a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad before being handed a 100 per cent fine on his match fee along with a one-match suspension for breach of the IPL Code of Conduct. However, in the match against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday at the Ekana Stadium, Harshit chose not to pull off the same act, but rather “taunted” BCCI with a different gesture.
Harshit was among the pick of the bowlers for KKR in the match against LSG as he picked three crucial wickets to help the visitors bundle the home team for just 137 in the chase of 236 with 23 balls to spare. During one of his wicket celebrations on Sunday, Harshit celebrated with a finger-on-the-lips gesture. KKR later posted it on social media, which left fans thinking if it was a message directed at the BCCI.
It is yet not known whether BCCI will take action against Harshit for his new celebration.
Earlier on Sunday, before the match against LSG, KKR player Nitish Rana teased Harshit by asking whether he was going to give another ‘flying kiss’ during the tournament. The right-armer smiled sheepishly and then burst into laughter saying that he would not do that again.
Harshit faced a stringent punishment from BCCI earlier last week for his animated send-off gesture towards Delhi Capitals batter Abhishek Porel after he dismissed him. While he did stop himself from another flying-kiss act, he gestured with his hand showing the batter the way back to the pavilion.
“Rana committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding. The player was earlier penalised under the same level and article of the IPL Code of Conduct,” the IPL said in a statement.
