Spinner Harbhajan Singh has been handed an 11-match ban in the Indian Premier League after pleading guilty to slapping fellow India star Sree Santh.
The suspension will end his involvement in the competition unless his team, Mumbai Indians, reach the semi-finals.
Harbhajan, 27, will also lose his match fees for the whole tournament after the incident in a game last Friday between Mumbai and Santh's Kings XI Punjab.
TV cameras failed to capture it but paceman Santh was seen crying.
Harbhajan expressed regret over the altercation during a 45-minute hearing chaired by match referee Farokh Engineer.
Santh was let off with a warning but Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput was fined 50% of his match fee, with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi saying: "He did not do enough to stop the incident.
"Rajput was right behind Harbhajan when the incident took place. He didn't take any step to restrain him."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed it will take separate action against Harbhajan because he is a centrally-contracted player.
He will be charged with a level four offence under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct which deals with player assault.
If found guilty he could be banned for between five Tests or 10 one-day internationals and life.
Harbhajan faced controversy in January over allegations he called Australia's Andrew Symonds a monkey during the second Test in Sydney.
The off-spinner was eventually cleared of the charge of racial abuse, but found guilty of using abusive language.
Following the incident, Australia's Matthew Hayden described him as "an obnoxious little weed".
BBC
The suspension will end his involvement in the competition unless his team, Mumbai Indians, reach the semi-finals.
Harbhajan, 27, will also lose his match fees for the whole tournament after the incident in a game last Friday between Mumbai and Santh's Kings XI Punjab.
TV cameras failed to capture it but paceman Santh was seen crying.
Harbhajan expressed regret over the altercation during a 45-minute hearing chaired by match referee Farokh Engineer.
Santh was let off with a warning but Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput was fined 50% of his match fee, with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi saying: "He did not do enough to stop the incident.
"Rajput was right behind Harbhajan when the incident took place. He didn't take any step to restrain him."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed it will take separate action against Harbhajan because he is a centrally-contracted player.
He will be charged with a level four offence under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct which deals with player assault.
If found guilty he could be banned for between five Tests or 10 one-day internationals and life.
Harbhajan faced controversy in January over allegations he called Australia's Andrew Symonds a monkey during the second Test in Sydney.
The off-spinner was eventually cleared of the charge of racial abuse, but found guilty of using abusive language.
Following the incident, Australia's Matthew Hayden described him as "an obnoxious little weed".
BBC
