This season, the Indian Premier League has witnessed a host of captains copping fines for slow over-rate.
The IPL has done away with the rule of a captain getting a one-match suspension after three over-rate offences in a season.
The fines imposed for slow over-rate offenses are thus: The captain is fined for the first offence, and the entire team is fined for subsequent offences.
Until this season, as per Article 2.22 of the IPL's code of conduct, a captain was fined Rs 12 lakh for the first slow over rate offence in a season.
A penalty of Rs 24 lakh was imposed for the second, and Rs 30 lakh along with a one-match ban for the third and each subsequent offence.
The other 10 players in the team were fined Rs 6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever is lesser, for the second offence, and Rs 12 lakh or 50% of their match fee, whichever is lesser, for the third and subsequent offences.
According to clause 12.6 of the IPL Playing Conditions, a team must complete 14.11 overs an hour. In uninterrupted matches, the 20th over should finish within 90 minutes (being 85 minutes of playing time plus 5 minutes of time-out) of the start of the innings.
A failure to ensure this leads to fines on IPL skippers.
In IPL 2025, Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag, who was standing in for injured Sanju Samson, was the first captain to be fined this season. for slow over rate
Samson was then fined Rs 24 lakh while the rest of the side was hit with a fine of Rs 6 lakh (or 25% of their match fees) for slow over rate in their match against Gujarat Titans.
First-time offender Lucknow Super Giants Captain Rishabh Pant was penalised for the violation during the match against Mumbai Indians.
RCB's Rajat Patidar was fined for his first offence in the match against Mumbai Indians last week and Hardik Pandya was penalised Rs 12 lakh for a first offence in the game against Gujarat Titans.
On Monday, Delhi Capitals' Axar Patel became the latest captain to be fined for slow over-rate.
While the rules state that it's the captains and the team have been fined, who pays these fines? The player or the franchise?
Given reports that there is no set rule of who pays this fine, this is ambiguous territory.
The penalty is cut from the players' match fee, although, franchises occasionally take it upon themselves to cover fines.
Also the IPL allows deferred payment of fines.
The BCCI sends the offenders and their teams an invoice describing the amount to be paid at the end of the season. It is then up to the team to decide whether they pay the fine or the player who it has been applied to bears the burden.
So while the fine is officially levied on the players (including the captain), the exact payment handling can vary a bit behind the scenes depending on the league, team culture, or individual contracts.
© 2025