Rishabh Pant, captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has been penalized for his team’s slow over-rate in their recent IPL 2025 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Lucknow. This marks LSG’s third offence this season, with previous violations occurring on April 5 and April 26. According to the IPL’s code of conduct on over-rates, Pant faces a fine of INR 30 lakh. The rest of the playing XI were fined INR 12 lakh or 50% of their match fees, whichever amount is lower.
Despite it being a third offence this season, Pant has not been suspended due to an amendment in IPL rules prior to the 2025 season. This contrasts with the 2024 season, where repeated offences led to suspensions—as was the case with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who missed the opener this season due to a carry-forward suspension.
In the match, Pant’s robust performance, scoring an unbeaten 118 off just 61 balls, helped LSG reach 227 for 3. However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down the target convincingly, thanks to standout innings from Virat Kohli, who scored 54, and Jitesh Sharma, with an unbeaten 85, wrapping up the game with eight balls remaining and six wickets in hand.
LSG ended their campaign with six victories and 12 points from 14 matches, placing them seventh in the ten-team league standings. On the other hand, RCB have secured a spot in Qualifier 1, finishing the league phase with 19 points.
The season’s performances presented both highlights and challenges. Tom Moody reflected, “Wouldn’t have thought Pant was in a form slump,” acknowledging his stellar century but this third penalty shows the complexities teams face in managing game strategies. As the season concludes, teams will undoubtedly re-evaluate their approaches for upcoming tournaments.
