India cricketer Kranti Gaud has been fined 10 per cent of her match fee after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct. The ruling relates to an incident that took place during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final held in Dubai on September 13, 2026.
The incident occurred in the opening over of Sri Lanka’s run chase. Imesha Dulani had just been dismissed attempting a lap shot when Gaud directed a send-off gesture towards the pavilion. Match referee Supriya Rani Das proposed the sanction, and Gaud accepted the charge, removing the need for a formal hearing.
Alongside the financial penalty, Gaud was handed one demerit point. As this is her first offence within a rolling 24-month window, no suspension is triggered at this stage. India had already sealed the match comfortably, winning by 72 runs after posting 183 for 5 and bowling Sri Lanka out for 111. The victory gave India their record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
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What does Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct cover?
Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct targets conduct directed at a batter who has just been dismissed during an international match. The provision is designed to prevent behaviour that could demean or provoke a reaction from a departing player, and it applies to verbal as well as physical gestures made in the immediate aftermath of a wicket.
The article covers, as quoted by the ICC, ‘using language, actions or gestures which disparage, or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match’. Gaud’s send-off gesture towards the pavilion was assessed against this standard by match referee Supriya Rani Das.
Because Gaud did not contest the finding, the matter was settled through the ICC’s standard administrative route. Players who accept a proposed sanction at Level 1 are not required to appear before a formal disciplinary panel, and the charge is recorded without further proceedings.
Were there other ICC sanctions from the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026?
A separate disciplinary matter arose from Pakistan’s semi-final against Sri Lanka, where Pakistan were fined 5 per cent of their match fees for a slow over-rate offence. The fourth umpire, Rabab Ahsan, levelled the charge after Pakistan were ruled one over short of the required target within the allotted time.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana accepted the sanction on behalf of her side, again without requiring a formal hearing. Both disciplinary outcomes from the tournament followed the same ICC procedural route, with the relevant official proposing a sanction and the accused party accepting it at the administrative stage.
The slow over-rate charge against Pakistan and the send-off charge against Gaud are unrelated matters governed by different articles of the ICC Code of Conduct. Neither case proceeded beyond the acceptance stage, and both are now formally closed.
