KL Rahul and his Indian team have been handed a 10 percent fine of their match fee for a slow over rate during the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. The Men in Blue were found to be two overs short in a match that saw the Proteas chase down 359 runs, the joint-highest ODI total against India.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), match referee Richie Richardson charged India for breaching Article 22.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel regarding minimum over-rate offences. The rules state that players will be fined 5% of their match fees for every over they fall short of within the specified time.
India captain KL Rahul accepted the charges without the need for a formal hearing. The match itself was a high-scoring affair with three centuries being scored. India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli both hit centuries, scoring 105 and 102, respectively. However, it was Aiden Markram’s brilliant knock of 110 that helped South Africa secure a four-wicket victory and level the series at 1-1.
Moving on from the fine, KL Rahul continued his impressive captaincy as he led India to a third ODI series win against South Africa, this time by nine wickets in Vizag. This victory marked his second consecutive series win against the Proteas, having previously led India to a 2-1 win in South Africa in 2023. Overall, Rahul has an impressive record as captain, winning 10 out of his 15 ODIs in charge.
Rahul’s contribution wasn’t just limited to his captaincy skills, as he also performed exceptionally well with the bat in the series, scoring 60 and an unbeaten 66 in the first two ODIs. In the final match, Yashasvi Jaiswal stole the show with an unbeaten 116, supported by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who scored 75 and 65 not out, respectively. The series began with India winning the opener by 17 runs in Ranchi, thanks to Kohli’s century.
Looking ahead, India will now prepare for a five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9. With KL Rahul at the helm, the Indian team will be aiming to continue their winning momentum and secure another series victory against the Proteas.
This article was edited by James Kuanal.
