Have you been wondering what the exact rules are for maintaining slow over rates in the IPL? If yes, this is a quick explainer meant for you:
WHAT THE RULE SAYS
Each team is expected to complete an inning (while bowling) in flat 90 minutes or in an hour and a half. This includes the two strategic time-outs of 2 and a half minutes each. Time taken for DRS reviews/umpire reviews and player injuries are not included in these 90 minutes.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE OF A TEAM MAINTAINING A SLOW OVER RATE?
The captain of the side (while the team is bowling) in this case is fined Rs 12 lakh. No other player of the team is penalised. This is why Faf du Plessis alone was fined Rs 12 lakh when RCB maintained a slow over rate against LSG earlier this season.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SECOND INSTANCE OF A TEAM MAINTAINING A SLOW OVER RATE?
When a team is found guilty of having maintained a slow over rate for the second time in the same season, the captain of the team (while bowling) is fined Rs 24 lakh. This is why Virat was fined this amount when RCB were found to have maintained a slow over rate against RR recently.
Along with the captain, the rest of the team is also fined. Excluding the captain, the other team members, including the impact substitute, is fined either Rs 6 lakh or 25% of their match fee (whichever is lesser)
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE THIRD INSTANCE OF A TEAM MAINTAINING A SLOW OVER RATE?
When a team is found guilty of having maintained a slow over rate for the second time in the same season, the captain of the team (while bowling) is fined Rs 30 lakh and handed a one match ban.
Along with this, the rest of the team (excluding the captain) kis fined Rs 12 lakh each or 50% of their match fee (whichever is lesser)
These penalties will then remain the same for each subsequent offense of maintaining a slow over rate.
In case a captain hands over the leadership responsibilities to someone else to escape a potential ban, the sanctions will still be applicable to him, unless the BCCI is intimated in writing about a formal change in captaincy.
Needless to say the rules are rather strict and with the possibility of a one match ban for the captain for a third offense, no team would want to keep repeating this offense. However, the trend that has emerged is that this offense is not a rare one.
This season, the likes of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and David Warner have all been fined since their teams maintained a slow over rate in separate matches.
(AI image)
