According to The Indian Express, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during his team’s IPL 2021 campaign opener against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
“As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr Dhoni was fined Rs 12 lakh,” an IPL statement said.
According to IPL 2021 Code of Conduct, the minimum over-rate in the 14th season should be 14.1 overs per hour, ignoring the time taken for strategic time-outs.
“As a measure to control the match timings, the 20th over in each innings is now included in 90 minutes, earlier the 20th over was to start on or before the 90th minute. The minimum over rate to be achieved in IPL Matches shall be 14.11 overs per hour (ignoring the time taken by time-outs),” a BCCI official had said earlier.
However, the penalty for the offence remains unchanged, hence, a second offence will see CSK skipper Dhoni receiving a 24 lakh fine, while the remaining team members will be fined INR 6 lakh or 25% match fee fine (whichever is lesser) each. A third offence will result in an INR 30 lakh fine, one-match ban for the captain and INR 12 lakh or 50% match fee fine (whichever is lesser) for each member of the team excluding the captain.
In uninterrupted matches, the BCCI wants teams to finish bowling their quota of 20 overs within 90 minutes.
On Saturday, CSK bowled only 18.4 overs as Delhi Capitals gunned down a 189-run target with eight balls to spare. Rishabh Pant’s team won by seven wickets.
