Zeecric Bureau
Nagpur: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed a 2-match ban by match referee JJ Crowe of New Zealand for slow over-rate during India’s 3-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka at Nagpur on Friday.
The game ended about 45 minutes after the scheduled finish time because of frequent discussions between the Indian players during the closing stages.
The Indian captain, who also struck a fine century in the losing cause yesterday, would now be available for only the fifth match of the forthcoming series.
The decision to ban Dhoni was taken, considering the quantum of extra time the Indians took to complete their alloted overs.
Formal announcement from the ICC is expected soon.
It was still not known whether the two-match ban would come into effect immediately.
In case the ban comes into effect immediately, it will be a huge set-back for the Indians in the ongoing series with three matches still remaining to be played.
First Published: Saturday, December 19, 2009, 11:38