Kolkata, April 3
Abhishek Sharma, vice-captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The cricketer admitted to a Level 1 offence under Article 2.3, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision, and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee. As per IPL regulations, decisions on Level 1 breaches are final and binding.
The incident occurred when Abhishek expressed disagreement with TV umpire Nitin Menon’s decision to uphold a catch taken by Varun Chakaravarthy off the bowling of Blessing Muzarabani in the ninth over. While replays appeared inconclusive, the catch was ruled clean, prompting visible disappointment from the batter as he walked off.
Despite the incident, Abhishek played a key role with the bat, scoring a quickfire 48 off 21 deliveries, including four fours and four sixes, giving Hyderabad a strong start in the powerplay.
Sunrisers Hyderabad went on to register their first win of the Indian Premier League 2026 season with a commanding 65-run victory, with Abhishek’s innings proving instrumental.
