What led to DC seamer Mukesh Kumar's fine and demerit point?

Synopsis
In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi Capitals' Mukesh Kumar faced penalties for a breach of the IPL Code of Conduct during a key match against Mumbai Indians. This incident not only affected his team’s performance but also added to the tension of the playoff race. Discover the details behind this controversy and its implications.
Key Takeaways
- Mukesh Kumar fined 10% of match fees.
- Received one demerit point for conduct breach.
- Struggled with bowling, conceding 48 runs.
- Mumbai Indians secured playoff spot with a 59-run victory.
- Delhi Capitals missed out on playoffs this season.
Mumbai, May 22 (NationPress) Delhi Capitals seamer Mukesh Kumar has been penalized with a 10 percent deduction from his match fees and awarded one demerit point for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during a match against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
According to the IPL statement, "Mukesh Kumar acknowledged his Level 1 violation under Article 2.2, which pertains to the abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, as well as ground equipment or fixtures during a match, and accepted the sanctions imposed by the Match Referee. The Match Referee's ruling is final for Level 1 Code of Conduct breaches."
Throughout this season, Mukesh has participated in 11 out of DC's 13 matches, claiming 11 wickets with an average of 32.63 and an economy rate of 10.11.
In his recent performance, Mukesh struggled, conceding five boundaries and three sixes over four overs, concluding with figures of 2 for 48. His most challenging over was the 19th, where he allowed 27 runs — 6, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4 — as Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir propelled MI to a strong total of 180 in the first innings.
Following this, he was substituted by impact player KL Rahul during DC's chase, but the visitors collapsed, scoring just 121 runs. Only uncapped players Sameer Rizvi (39) and Vipraj Nigam (20) exceeded 20 runs.
With just one position left for the qualifiers, MI secured the final playoff spot, defeating DC by 59 runs in front of their home fans at the Wankhede Stadium.
This victory allows the Mumbai Indians to join the Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings in the knockout stage of TATA IPL 2025, while DC is left out of the playoff contention after this defeat.