Shafali reprimanded for Code of Conduct breach during Zimbabwe T20I

Dubai: India batter Shafali Verma has received an official reprimand from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching its Code of Conduct during the second Women’s T20I against Zimbabwe in Raipur on Sunday.

The incident took place in the 12th over of Zimbabwe's innings when Shafali dropped Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano at mid-off off the bowling of Sree Charani. Frustrated by the missed opportunity, the Indian batter threw the ball into the ground, prompting the match officials to charge her with a Level 1 offence.

Shafali was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment, fixtures and fittings during an international match.

The 22-year-old has also received one demerit point on her disciplinary record. This is her first offence within a 24-month period.

Shafali admitted the breach and accepted the sanction proposed by G.S. Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, eliminating the need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan, third umpire Anna Harris and fourth umpire Janani Narayanan levelled the charge.

Under the ICC’s regulations, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum sanction of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.

The disciplinary action comes after an impressive outing with the bat for Shafali in the same match. She struck a rapid 55 off just 25 deliveries as India secured a series lead with a dominant victory over Zimbabwe, chasing down the visitors’ total of 102/8 inside nine overs.

While India have already sealed the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead, the two sides are scheduled to meet in the third and final T20I in Raipur on Tuesday, October 20.

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