ICC Punishes Another India Cricketer In England For Making Avoidable Contact
India’s historic win in the first ODI against England at Southampton was slightly marred by disciplinary action from the ICC. Young opener Pratika Rawal has been fined 10 percent of her match fee for committing a Level 1 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct. The infraction stems from two instances of avoidable physical contact during the game — one with Lauren Filer in the 18th over while taking a single, and another with Sophie Ecclestone as she walked back to the dressing room after her dismissal in the following over.
The ICC’s official statement revealed that Rawal was found guilty of breaching Article 2.12, which deals with “inappropriate physical contact with a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other person during an international match.” The incident resulted in one demerit point being added to Rawal’s disciplinary record — her first such offence in the past 24 months.
Meanwhile, England’s women’s team wasn’t spared either. The ICC imposed a five percent fine on each England player for a slow over-rate, citing they were one over short of their target after considering time allowances. The penalty was applied in line with Article 2.22, which governs minimum over-rate offences. As per the code, teams are fined five percent of their match fee for every over they fall short in their allotted time.
Match referee Sarah Bartlett imposed both sanctions. As Rawal and England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt accepted the charges and the accompanying fines, no formal hearing was required.
Despite the controversy, the match itself was a thrilling affair. England posted a competitive 258/6 batting first, powered by a fluent 83 from Sophia Dunkley and a steady half-century from Alice Davidson-Richards. India’s chase started steadily but faltered midway, finding themselves at 124/4.
But Deepti Sharma, the seasoned all-rounder, played the role of a finisher to perfection. Her unbeaten 62, combined with a 90-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues (48), stabilised the innings. Later, Amanjot Kaur’s calm 20* saw India cross the finish line with 10 balls to spare, securing a four-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will now head to the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground for the second ODI, scheduled on Saturday, with the opportunity to seal the series. However, the incident involving Pratika Rawal is a reminder for all players to maintain composure and professionalism, especially in high-stakes games.
The ICC’s swift disciplinary action also reiterates its zero-tolerance stance on physical misconduct and slow over rates — whether it involves senior stars or rising talents.
