Rishabh Pant slapped hard by BCCI; to serve punishment that becomes a folklore for ages

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant has been fined yet again by the IPL rule makers for maintaining a slow over rate for the second time in a row in IPL 2024. The first time Pant and DC were charged INR 12 Lakhs was when they were caught maintaining a slow over-rate during their previous home against the Chennai Super Kings on March 31st at the ACA-VDCA stadium in Vishakhapatnam.

And instead of learning from their past mistake, the North-Indian outfit was caught doing the same thing last night against KKR. While it was indeed a very difficult match for Rishabh Pant and Co., the slow over rate is proving to be a major headache.

Since it was the team’s second offense by the Indian Premier League’s code of conduct, all the players who took part in yesterday’s game were fined more than 5 Lakhs. In even simpler terms, DC players were stripped of 25% of their match fees, it was confirmed earlier today on the official website of IPL.

Indeed it was a very tough outing for the Delhi Capitals as they conceded the league’s third-highest total of 272, which is this season’s second 270+ total. The Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting line-up thrashed the DC bowling line-up which was without key bowlers – Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar.

Rishabh Pant fined 24 Lakhs while other DC players fined at least 6 Lakhs

Since it was the second time Delhi Capitals kept a slow over rate, skipper Rishabh Pant was fined double what he was fined in the previous offense. While Pant has been charged 24 Lakhs for this offense, the other DC players including Impact player Abhishek Porel were fined INR 6 Lakhs or 25% of their match fees. “Rishabh Pant, the Delhi Capitals captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Kolkata Knight Riders.” – a BCCI official said. 

For the Delhi Capitals, it also comes as a disciplinary issue that the Ricky Ponting-led team management must look to address. Things anyways panned out in the worst possible manner last night and it is not even the entire 24 hours since their 106-run loss to KKR that Rishabh Pant and his side have charged a hefty sum.

“As it was his team’s second offense of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pant was fined INR 24 lakhs. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 6 lakhs or 25 percent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.” – the BCCI official concluded. 

Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs score half-century but DC lose

Meanwhile, after conceding the second-highest score of IPL 2024, the DC batting unit never got going until middle-order batters Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs took over. The top-order of Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Abhishek Porel, all of them could only score 28 runs.

Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs scored half-centuries respectively but it was just not enough to give Delhi Capitals their second win of the season.