Ind vs Aus 2016: Hardik Pandya reprimanded for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

New Delhi: Promising Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya was on Thursday reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for celebrating aggressively after taking a wicket during the opening T20I against Australia in Adelaide.

Incidentally, it was Pandya's maiden International match as well.

The incident took place in the 16th over, when Pandya grabbed his maiden international wicket in the form of Chris Lynn and celebrated excessively in close proximity to the dismissed right-handed, which could have provoked an aggressive reaction.

However, after the game in which India crushed the visitors by 37 runs, Pandya admitted the offense and accepted the sanction proposed by Jeff Crowe of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

The charge was leveled by on-field umpires Simon Fry and John Ward, third umpire Paul Wilson and fourth official Gerard Abood.

Pandya was found to have breached Article 2.1.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match", as per the ICC release.

For all first offenses, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee.

(With Agency inputs)