Hardik Pandya, Nehra fined for breaching IPL Code of Conduct
Mumbai, May 7 (PTI): Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and his team were handed hefty fines for maintaining a slow over rate, while their rival side Gujarat Titans' head coach Ashish Nehra also copped a financial penalty and a demerit point for conduct "contrary to the spirit of the game" in their IPL clash here.
MI lost by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) method to GT in a rain-affected match which concluded well past midnight at the Wankhede Stadium here.
"As it was his team's second offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined Rs 24 lakh," the IPL said in a statement.
The rest of the MI team, including the impact player and concussion substitute, were each individually fined either Rs 6 lakh or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.
Nehra's offence was not explicitly stated in the IPL press release but the former pacer was visibly agitated for a considerable time during the match which had multiple rain stoppages. He was also seen engaged in animated discussions with on-field umpires.
"Ashish Nehra, Head Coach, Gujarat Titans, has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct," the IPL stated.
"He admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.20 - which pertains to the conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game - and accepted the match referee's sanction," it added.
For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the match referee's decision is final and binding.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
