Ruturaj Gaikwad faces BCCI punishment, Nitish Rana not spared either after CSK beat DC for first win of IPL 2026

The BCCI showed no leniency towards Ruturaj Gaikwad, despite CSK securing its first win in four matches this season against Delhi Capitals on Saturday at home.

Updated on: Apr 12, 2026, 11:07:00 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad became the third skipper to be found guilty of breaching the IPL Code of Conduct in the ongoing 19th season of the league. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) showed no leniency towards the Chennai captain, despite the team securing its first win in four matches this season against Delhi Capitals on Saturday at Chepauk.

Chennai Super King' captain Ruturaj Gaikwad throws the ball during an IPL 2026 match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals (PTI)

Gaikwad was fined after CSK maintained a slow over-rate during the match. Since it was the team’s first offence under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate violations, he was fined INR 12 lakh.

IPL 2026 has already seen multiple such instances in the opening 17 matches, with Shreyas Iyer found guilty on two occasions. He was the first offender of the season after Punjab Kings maintained a slow over-rate against Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh on March 31. He breached the code again in the very next game against Chennai on April 2, and since it was a second offence, Iyer was fined INR 24 lakh.

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Shubman Gill, captain of Gujarat Titans, was the other offender, found guilty during the match against Delhi Capitals on April 8.

Nitish Rana not spared

The BCCI announced another sanction on Sunday, with Delhi Capitals batter Nitish Rana penalised for clashing with the umpire during the match against CSK. The incident occurred after the match official did not allow his teammate Tristan Stubbs to change his gloves in the 19th over, following which he lost his wicket.

Rana was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct.

He was found to have violated Article 2.3, which relates to the “use of an audible obscenity during a match.” Rana admitted the offence and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction.

Chennai's first win in IPL 2026

The five-time champions finally opened their account on Saturday with a 23-run win against Delhi Capitals. After three silent outings, Sanju Samson rediscovered his batting range as he smashed a fabulous 115 not out, while forging a 113-run stand for the second wicket with Ayush Mhatre as CSK posted a competitive 212 for two and the Delhi Capitals stumbled against Jamie Overton's superb spell (4/18) to get bundled out for 189.

While it was the super Kings' first win of the season, the Capitals slumped to their second defeat in a row.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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