During the 4th Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 between Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals, on 26th February, Delhi pacer Arundhati Reddy was fined 10% of her match fees for breaching the WPL’s Code of Conduct in the match against Poonam Khemnar.
Arundhati Reddy was fined for her aggressive send-off, after dismissing Poonam Khemnar on the 5th ball of the 15th over of the 1st innings. The reaction shown by Arundhati Reddy towards Poonam Khemnar was considered aggressive to which Arundhati Reddy also admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of WPL’s Code of Conduct.
Article 2.5 includes any language, action, or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean the dismissed batter, regardless of whether the batter him/herself feels disparaged or demeaned (in other words, a ‘send-off’).
Without limitation, Article 2.5 includes (a) excessive celebration directed at and in close proximity to the dismissed batter; (b) verbally abusing the dismissed batter; and (c) pointing or gesturing toward the pavilion. Nothing in this Article 2.5 is, however, intended to stop Players celebrating, in an appropriate fashion, the dismissal of the opposing team’s batter.
For Level 1 breach of the WPL’s Code of Conduct, the decision from the match referee Varsha Nagre was final and binding towards Arundhati Reddy.
In the match, UP Warriorz managed to score 119 runs in the allotted 20 overs after an amazing spell from Marizanne Kapp at the top and some contribution of 45(42) from the birthday girl Shweta Sehrawat.
In the end, Delhi Capitals easily chased down the target of 120 in just 14.3 over with a century opening stand from captain Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, each of them scoring a fifty. Marizanne Kapp was adjudged Player of the Match for her spell of 3 wickets in 4 overs giving only 5 runs.
So far this season, Arundhati Reddy’s performance has been good in the 2 matches she has played. She has taken 3 wickets at an economy of just above 6 and scalped crucial wickets, including that of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Yatika Bhatia in the curtain raiser against Mumbai Indians.