Sat. May 31st, 2025

Rishabh Pant Fined INR 30 Lakh for LSG's Third Slow Over-Rate Offence

In a significant development during Match No. 70 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Rishabh Pant has been reportedly charged for a breach of the League’s Code of Conduct. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain was fined INR 30 Lakh for slow over-rate in the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 27 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.

The match against RCB was LSG’s third slow over-rate offence for the 2025 season which puts it in the serious category according to the IPL 2025 rules. The IPL Codes of Conduct indicate that for repeated offences a stricter punishment would be imposed and that in this case included a hefty fine for not just Rishabh Pant but also for the entire LSG team.

What Exactly Happened?

In a thrilling affair between LSG and RCB, the exciting gameplay was overshadowed by disciplinary issues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which governs the IPL, made an official statement announcing that Lucknow Super Giants had once again failed to bowl their overs within the time limit; this time resulting in a sanction as this was their third breach of the minimum over-rate regulation.

“Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has been fined after his team’s slow over-rate during Match No. 70 of the TATA IPL 2025 against RCB. As this was the team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct regarding minimum over-rate offences, Rishabh Pant was fined INR 30 Lakh. The other members of the Playing XI (including the Impact Player) were each fined either INR 12 Lakh or 50 percent of their match fees, whichever was lower,” the official IPL statement read.

Individual Brilliance Amidst Team Penalty

Rishabh Pant had a fantastic individual performance despite the challenge presented by the Lucknow Super Giants’ bowlers. Prior to the match, Pant had a total of just 151 runs across 13 innings in the 2025 IPL season. Pant, however, lit up the Ekana Stadium with an explosive, unbeaten performance of 118 – his first IPL century in seven years – leading Lucknow Super Giants to a tremendous total of 227/3.

While Pant and LSG had done their job, the LSG bowlers were unable to defend the target. RCB chased down the target with eight balls to spare, captained by a phenomenal innings from Jitesh Sharma, who smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes. And with their talismanic figure in Virat Kohli contributing a half-century, which set-up the chase, RCB quickly returned Pant to his struggles.

The Fallout of the Offence

Disciplinary issues and game management have become serious questions. Slow over-rate penalties are more than penalties; they take away from a team’s momentum, damage the captain’s reputation and they may have implications for the future.

In Rishabh Pant’s case, he has done so well in IPL 2025, this could be detrimental for Pant as captain, especially with the IPL 2025 being a time-sensitive cricket tournament. There is no doubt that three slow over-rates indicate a systemic issue with various germs of game management, and people (fans and critics alike) will undoubtedly start reflecting on Pant’s captaincy now.

Additionally, the ramifications on team morale deserve to be noted. While Pant’s innings (100 off 60 balls) was incredible, the loss and fines will certainly darken memories of his innings. It is tough for all LSG fans, especially knowing that this was their last match of the season and they were now out of contention for heading into the IPL 2025 playoffs.

What This Means for LSG and RCB

Lucknow Super Giants will remember this match fondly, but they couldn’t finish IPL 2025 on a positive note. Lucknow had their ups and downs this season, but ending on disciplinary issues and a loss won’t help any franchise image or fan engagement.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who look dangerous. They secured their Top 2 finish with this win and will now face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 on May 29. With the combination of experience and youth in RCBs playing XI, including Jitesh Sharma and Virat Kohli, they could just be the side to win IPL 2025.

A Closer Look at the IPL Code of Conduct

The IPL’s Code of Conduct has not only made it mandatory to bowl a prescribed number of overs in the assigned time to keep the tournament moving along, but it has enforced rules regarding slow over-rate so that everyone is alert to it:

First Offence: Fine
Second Offence: Fine; warning
Third Offence: Larger fine for captain & players

The third offence calls down ultimate punishment and it is clear in the punishment which was set down to Rishabh Pant and his team.

Lessons to Be Learned

There is a lot for LSG to reflect on. Although Rishabh Pant’s individual brilliance was a bright spot, the bowling efficiency, strategic planning, and time management are all vital areas to improve upon. Not only are they pivotal to getting match results, they are also critical to the image of your team in IPL 2025.

In addition, these situations welcome unnecessary scrutiny and in the digital age, your problems can easily become a PR mess. The team management and the coaching staff must address these issues to ensure that they do not happen in future seasons.

Conclusion

The fine imposed on Rishabh Pant and the whole LSG playing XI for a slow over-rate during the LSG vs RCB match was a fantastic reminder that discipline and timing are equally as important as runs and wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). Rishabh Pant’s century was sensational, but the team lacked execution, in both play and compliance.

As we now enter the IPL 2025 playoffs, focus will shift to teams like RCB, who opportunistically have combined aggression and discipline. For Lucknow Super Giants, hopefully, this can be a wake-up call – they can only move forward from here if they take accountability, and tactical change lies ahead.

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