Dinesh Karthik reprimanded for breaching IPL Code of Conduct

Cricket Desk: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) former captain Dinesh Karthik has been reprimanded for breaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct on Wednesday, the BCCI said in a release. The wicketkeeper-batsman was found guilty during his team’s Qualifier 2 against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Sharjah.

“Karthik admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding,” the official statement read.

The exact nature of the breach was not specified by the IPL but Karthik was seen dislodging a stump out of frustration after he was dismissed during the high-voltage game on Wednesday

Earlier on Wednesday, KKR qualified for an IPL final after a hiatus of 7 years, following a nerve-wracking 3-wicket victory over DC. Rahul Tripathi struck a stunning six in the penultimate delivery after opener Venkatesh Iyer's brilliant half-century to take the game in the final over.

KKR were cruising at 123 for 1 in 15.5 overs but from there on they suffered a stunning batting collapse. They needed 10 runs from the last two overs but Anrich Nortje removed KKR captain Eoin Morgan (0) with the final ball of the 19th over, leaving KKR seven runs to get from the final over.

Shakib Al Hasan (0) and Sunil Narine (0) were then removed in the third and fourth balls before Tripathi hit a six off Ashwin in the fifth ball to help KKR notch up a stunning win in the end.

This will be KKR's third final appearance after winning the title in 2012 and 2014. They had just about managed to sneak into the play-offs at the expense of five-time defending champions Mumbai Indians, thanks to their better net run rate. They will face three-time winners Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash in Dubai on Friday.