Shafali Verma received an official reprimand for violating Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel on October 18, 2026, when India and Zimbabwe played their second Women’s Twenty20 International in Raipur. It was her first infraction in a 24-month period, and one demerit point has been added to her disciplinary record.
Shafali Verma has been handed an official reprimand
Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct was found to have been violated by the 22-year-old India T20I vise captain. In the 12th over of Zimbabwe’s innings, Verma threw the ball into the ground out of frustration after dropping Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano at mid-off off Sree Charani’s bowling.
Match referee G.S. Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees suggested the penalty, which Verma accepted after admitting the offense. There was no need for a formal hearing because she accepted the charge. India eventually won the game by nine wickets.
According to the ICC Code of Conduct, a Level 1 violation is the least serious type. A formal reprimand is the minimum punishment for such a violation, and a fine equal to half of the player’s match fee is the maximum. Depending on the specifics of the offense, one or two demerit points are also applied.
According to the ICC, “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match” is covered by Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Shafali Verma received one demerit point at the lower end of the available range for her action of tossing the ball into the ground following a dropped catch.
Demerit points are automatically removed from a player’s disciplinary record after 24 months from the date of imposition. A player is banned if they accrue four or more demerit points in a 24-month period. These points are then converted into suspension points. A player who receives two suspension points will be barred from one Test, two ODIs, or two T20Is, depending on which occurs first. Since this was Shafali Verma’s first offense during the applicable period, there is currently no suspension in place.
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On-field umpires Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan, as well as third umpire Anna Harris and fourth umpire Janani Narayanan, brought the charge against Shafali Verma. After examining the incident, match referee G.S. Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees suggested the sanction.
The issue was settled without a formal hearing since Verma acknowledged the offense and agreed to the suggested punishment. The one demerit point is currently on her record and will stay there until October 2028. If there are no more violations during that 24-month period, the point will then be automatically expunged.
