Delhi Capitals' skipper, Rishabh Pant, has faced repercussions for his team's slow over-rate during their IPL 2024 clash against Rajasthan Royals. The IPL has announced a one-match suspension and a hefty fine of Rs 30 lakh for Pant due to his team's third offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct regarding minimum over-rate offences.
In addition to Pant's suspension and fine, the rest of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were individually fined either Rs 12 lakh or 50 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser, as per the IPL statement released on Saturday afternoon.
Initially, Delhi Capitals filed an appeal challenging the ruling of match referee Daniel Manohar, which led to the matter being referred to the BCCI Ombudsman for review. After a virtual hearing, the Ombudsman affirmed the match referee's decision as final and binding.
During the hearing, Pant argued that the delay was partly due to extreme weather conditions, as the match day in question marked one of the hottest days in Delhi. He also cited the extended review process for the dismissal of RR captain Sanju Samson, which consumed approximately 5-6 minutes, as a contributing factor to the slow over-rate.
DC head coach Ricky Ponting supported Pant's argument, highlighting the delivery of multiple wide deliveries towards the end of the innings by DC bowlers, leaving no opportunity to compensate for the delay. Ponting emphasized that Pant should not solely bear responsibility for the delay caused by the bowlers.
On the other hand, Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly pointed out discrepancies in the Ball Retrieval Allowance granted to DC during RR's innings. Ganguly argued that the allowance granted for the review of Samson's dismissal was insufficient, considering the additional time consumed due to protests and the lengthy review process.
Despite the arguments presented during the hearing, the Ombudsman upheld the match referee's decision, underscoring the importance of maintaining over-rates and adhering to the IPL's Code of Conduct.Pant's suspension and fine serve as a reminder to all IPL teams of the necessity to comply with league regulations, ensuring fair play and timely completion of matches.
