Rayudu handed two-match suspension

MUMBAI: Hyderabad captain Ambati Rayudu has been slapped with a two-match suspension for breaching BCCI’s code of conduct during the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy game between Hyderabad and Karnataka, played out on January 11, 2018.

He will miss Hyderabad’s first two matches (against Services and Jharkhand) in the Vijay Hazare trophy - the domestic 50-over event that begins from February 5.The charge against Rayudu was levelled by on-field umpires Mr Abhijit Deshmukh, Mr Ulhas Vithalrao Gandhe, and third umpire Mr Anil Dandekar, and the Hyderabad skipper accepted it. The BCCI is also said to be looking into the role of the Hyderabad Team manager in the incident, a release stated on Wednesday (January 31).

The suspension has been handed for Rayudu’s reaction after a controversy-marred fixture went Karnataka’s way by a decisive two-run margin. In the second over of Karnataka’s innings, there was an instance when Hyderabad player Mehdi Hasan - fielding at deep mid-wicket - touched the ropes with his foot while fetching the ball. The onfield umpires did not check with third umpire and only two runs that the Karnataka batsmen ran were awarded to them. Replays however suggested that it should’ve been adjudged four, prompting Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar to have a word with match referee and the umpires. Before the start of Hyderabad’s chase the two extra runs were awarded to Karnataka, changing their total from 203 to 205.