IPL 2019: Royal Challengers Bangalore Skipper Virat Kohli Fined For Slow Over-Rate

Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore finally won a game this season on Saturday when they beat Kings XI Punjab by 8 wickets. It was a near clinical performance from the three-time finalists who had lost their opening six games. Almost everything fell in place for Royal Challengers in Mohali. Virat Kohli won the toss and invited the home side to bat first.  Kings XI were off to a stunning start with Chris Gayle and KL Rahul adding 66 runs for the first wicket.

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A few overs later, Kings XI suffered a mini collapse to find themselves reduced to 113 for 4 from 86 for 1. As a result, they slowed down in the middle and eventually ended on 173 for 4 despite Gayle scoring an unbeaten 99.  In reply, the Royal Challengers started well with Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel adding 43 runs for the first wicket. The Royal Challengers skipper and AB de Villiers then added 85 runs for the second wicket to put the Royal Challengers in the driver’s seat.

Mohammed Shami broke the stand by dismissing Kohli for 67. But before Kings XI could make further inroads in the game, de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis took the side home with 4 balls remaining;

But the won was soured a bit when Virat Kohli became the third captain in IPL 2019 to be slapped a fine for his team maintaining a slow over-rate.

“As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Kohli was fined Rs 12 lakh,” the IPL said in a statement.

The other two captains who have paid a hefty fine for slow over-rate this season are Mumbai Indians’ captain Rohit Sharma and Rajasthan Royals’ Ajinkya Rahane .

The Royal Challengers skipper is now in danger of getting a ban too. A second offence over-rate would result in a fine of INR 24 lakh for the captain and of INR 6 lakh or 25% of the match fee from every other player in the team, whichever is lesser. A third offence will cost the captain INR 30 lakh and a ban from the team’s next game, while each player in the XI will be fined INR 12 lakh or 50% of the match fee, whichever is lesser.

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