Dhoni suspended for one match for slow over-rate

India captain MS Dhoni has been suspended for one match after the visitors were fined for a second minor over-rate offence within a year during the seventh match of the tri-series against Australia in Brisbane on Sunday.  

The Indian side was ruled to be two overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

The penalty for Dhoni came due to this being India's second minor over-rate offence within a year. The team had also been fined for slow over-rate in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on 2 April. This means Dhoni will now miss Tuesday's ODI against Sri Lanka.

A 'Minor Over-Rate Offence' is when a side is found to be upto two overs short in an ODI or a T20I and upto five overs short in a Test.

Dhoni was also fined 40 percent of his match fees while each of the other players received 20 percent fines.

"Dhoni pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted both by Dhoni and India. As such there was no need for a formal hearing. Dhoni also acknowledged that he had been kept informed of the position regarding over-rates on a regular basis throughout the match and therefore accepted the decision," said an ICC press release.

This is not the first suspension for Dhoni on the tour. He had ealier been banned for the fourth Test at Adelaide after India were found to be two overs short of the required over-rate in Perth.

The rule regarding the over-rate offences was changed last June. Earlier captains were allowed three such offences within a period of 12 months before they were banned.