Tamil Nadu batter fined Rs 1 lakh for carrying undeclared mobile phone during TNPL match

A 26-year-old Tamil Nadu batter was fined Rs 1 lakh after being found with an undeclared mobile phone inside the Players and Match Officials Area during a Tamil Nadu Premier League game at the NPR College ground in Natham, Dindigul on August 10. The BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit notified the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, which has opened an inquiry into the incident.

The player is a left-hander who made his Ranji Trophy debut last season and recorded two fifties in the previous Ranji Trophy campaign. The ACSU treated the presence of the undeclared phone in the PMOA as a breach of the anti-corruption code and served the player a notice; his explanation was judged unsatisfactory. A senior TNCA official said he had been found texting his girlfriend during the match, though the ACSU did not find evidence of contact with bookmakers or other corruption-related activity.

Following the episode, the batter was immediately withdrawn from his franchise and did not play in the team's next match; he was also left out of its Friday fixture. TNCA secretary U Bhagawandas Rao confirmed receipt of the ACSU communication and outlined the association's interim selection stance: "We have received a letter (from the ACSU) about this incident. We have instructed the team owners not to consider him for selection until the enquiry is over. We are currently investigating the matter and will take appropriate action," Rao said.

The ACSU's review did not detect any phone activity directly tied to bookmakers, but the mere act of bringing an undeclared communication device into the PMOA was judged a breach. "While no corruption charges has been levelled, using mobile phone in PMOA during course of a match is prohibited. Hence it's a protocol breach," a senior TNCA official told PTI.

The ACSU initially recommended a Rs 1 lakh fine, noting this was the player's first such offence; the TNCA examined harsher penalties, including a possible two-year ban, before deciding the matter did not merit that level of sanction. Other TNPL franchises have been informed of the player's withdrawal, and the TNCA said it will determine whether any further disciplinary action is required once its investigation is complete.

The association has said the player will remain unavailable for selection while the enquiry continues, and the TNCA will decide on any additional action after the investigation is finalised.