Dhoni banned for two matches, Sehwag to lead

India’s chances in the one-day series against Sri Lanka suffered a setback with skipper MS Dhoni being banned for two matches because the team failed to bowl its overs in the scheduled time in the second ODI at Nagpur on Friday, reports HT Correspondent.

India’s chances in the one-day series against Sri Lanka suffered a setback with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni being banned for two matches because the team failed to bowl its overs in the scheduled time in the second one-dayer at Nagpur on Friday.

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With India losing, the five-match series is levelled 1-1.

The match ended 45 minutes late, with India four overs behind schedule. Under the rules, if a team is three or more overs behind, the captain faces a ban and each player is fined. In this case, India’s players were fined 40 per cent of their match fees.

Players are paid 13 per cent of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s profits at the end of the year. The exact amount paid to each player depends on how many represent India in a year and the profits earned.

Dhoni will miss the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Cuttack on December 21 and the fourth in Kolkata on Decem-ber 24. With vice-captain Yuvraj Singh injured, Virender Sehwag will lead the side.

Sehwag can take heart from the fact that India have won two of the three games Dhoni has missed, so far.

This is the first time since Dhoni’s one-day debut in Chittagong on December 23, 2004, that he will miss two matches on the trot. He has missed just three matches, playing 150 of the 153 since his debut.

“The India captain, like his Sri Lankan counterpart, was warned before and during the series to be mindful of the slow over rates,” said match referee Jeff Crowe. “India was at par until the 42nd over, but bowled only eight overs in the last hour, which is unacceptable.