Will ICC ban Sanju in semis? Victory celebrations likely flouted ICC rules

KOLKATA: Reports say Sanju Samson will face disciplinary action from the ICC after his brilliant performance against the West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup. Sanju's triumphant performance in the match held at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata opened the door to the possibility of disciplinary action.

After scoring 97 off 50 balls in the crucial match against the West Indies taking India to the semi-finals, Sanju could not control his excitement and threw his helmet and bat on the ground. He then knelt down and raised his hands to the sky and prayed. Throwing the helmet could lead to action under ICC rules.

According to Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, ‘misuse of cricket equipment’ is an offence. This includes throwing a helmet, bat or stump out of anger or excitement. Sanju’s action is likely to be considered a Level 1 offence. This usually carries a fine of up to 50 percent of the match fee and one or two demerit points.

However, a single Level 1 offence does not usually result in a ban from a match. However, if Sanju already has demerit points (if a total of 4 points is reached), there is a high possibility of a ban. It is reported that he does not have such points at present. In this situation, it is unlikely that Sanju will miss the semi-final against England.

Meantime, Sanju's prayer-like celebration is viral on social media. According to ICC rules, action will be taken only if religious matters are used in a provocative manner. In Sanju's case, it was a natural expression of gratitude, so action is not possible. Although there is a possibility of giving a warning or fine for throwing the helmet according to ICC rules, it is believed that there is no situation at present that Sanju will be eliminated from the semi-final.