India vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been sanctioned by the ICC for the ball-throwing incident with the umpire in the ongoing Headingley Test against England.
Pant was found guilty of breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire's decision. The two clauses under which he was charged were probably (a) for displaying excessive, obvious disappointment with the umpire's verdict, and (h) for engaging in prolonged argument or discussion about the decision.
He has received an official reprimand for a Level 1 offence, along with one demerit point added to his disciplinary record, his first offence in 24 months.
The incident that led to Pant’s penalty occurred during the 61st over of England’s first innings, when Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes were batting. Pant was seen engaged in a discussion with umpire Paul Reiffel about the ball’s condition. Reiffel inspected the ball with his gauge and found no issues. In frustration, Pant threw the ball onto the ground in front of the umpire, prompting jeers from the crowd.
No wicketkeeper has scored more Test hundreds in England than Rishabh Pant 💥#ENGvIND #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/nu71edjky8
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 23, 2025
No formal hearing was required as Pant accepted the sanctions proposed by Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, as confirmed in an ICC statement. The charges were brought by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, and fourth umpire Mike Burns. Level 1 breaches typically carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, with a maximum sanction of a 50 per cent match fee fine and one or two demerit points.
The controversy aside, Pant is having an excellent Test match, becoming only the second wicketkeeper to score two hundreds in a Test. The match is perfectly poised heading into the final day, with England 21-0 in their chase of a 371-run target.
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