Nitish Rana has been hit with a monetary penalty and a disciplinary addition after being found guilty of “using an audible obscenity” during Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Saturday night. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also received a fine, though his sanction was linked to the team’s slow over-rate at the end of the encounter.
Rana, who had been left out of DC’s playing XI earlier in the tournament after posting scores of 15, 0 and 5 in the first three games, was watching from the dugout during this match. While Tristan Stubbs was batting in the middle overs, he requested a change of gloves.
Key moments behind the incident
- The match situation before the altercation: DC needed 32 runs off the final two overs.
- Stubbs was DC’s main option, remaining unbeaten on 60 from 36 balls at that stage.
- Stubbs asked for a gloves change, but the request was denied.
- After the refusal, Rana exchanged words with the fourth umpire, Anish Sahasrabudhe.
- That over failed to deliver for DC: Stubbs was bowled on the third ball of the over by Jamie Overton, without adding to his score.
- DC ultimately fell short, losing the game by 23 runs.
Rana was fined an amount equal to 25% of his match fee after he admitted to the offence.
Gaikwad’s fine was INR 12 lakh, imposed because it was CSK’s first slow over-rate offence of the season.
This made Gaikwad the third IPL 2026 captain to be fined for a comparable over-rate breach, following Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill and Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has already been penalised twice this season—once for slow over-rates against Gujarat Titans and again for a similar offence versus CSK.
