Shafali Verma penalised for ICC Code of Conduct breach in 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe

India opener Shafali Verma has received an official reprimand from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching its Code of Conduct during the second T20I against Zimbabwe in Raipur. The 22-year-old has also been handed one demerit point after admitting the offence, marking her first disciplinary breach in the past 24 months.

The incident occurred during Zimbabwe’s batting innings in the 12th over, when Verma dropped Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano at mid-off off the bowling of Sree Charani. Following the missed opportunity, the Indian batter threw the ball onto the ground in frustration, prompting disciplinary action.

The ICC ruled that Verma had violated Article 2.2 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The provision covers the misuse or abuse of



cricket equipment, clothing, ground equipment and fixtures during an international match.

G.S. Lakshmi, a member of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, imposed the sanction. Since then, Verma has accepted the charge and the penalty. It eliminated the need for a formal hearing. Meanwhile, the complaint was filed by on-field umpires Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan, third umpire Anna Harris, and fourth umpire Janani Narayanan.

Notably, the ICC outlined the possible consequences for players found guilty of Level 1 offences in its official statement.

“Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points,” the official release stated.