Despite putting up a total beyond 200, Mumbai Indians crashed out of the IPL after a heartbreaking defeat—and the bad news didn’t stop there for their skipper. Hardik Pandya has now been hit with a hefty fine for a slow over-rate.
After losing the high-stakes qualifier and exiting the tournament, Pandya received a financial blow for breaching the over-rate regulations. Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Shreyas Iyer, who played a match-winning knock to lead his team to the final, was also fined for the same reason.
Rain delayed the start of Sunday’s second qualifier between the two teams in Ahmedabad. As a result, the IPL’s revised playing conditions were activated, granting two extra hours to complete the full 40 overs. However, both sides exceeded the allotted time due to slow over-rates.
Shreyas Iyer was fined ₹24 lakh. It was his second slow over-rate offense this season. The rest of the Punjab Kings players, including the impact player, were each fined either 25% of their match fee or ₹6 lakh.
Pandya’s fine was even steeper—₹30 lakh—because it was his third slow over-rate offense of the season. The remaining 11 players in the Mumbai Indians squad, including the impact substitute, were fined either 50% of their match fee or ₹12 lakh.
One silver lining for Pandya is that he won’t face a suspension. Under the previous rules, captains were handed a one-match ban after three over-rate violations. That very rule kept Pandya out of Mumbai’s season opener this year. However, the suspension clause has since been removed from the IPL’s playing conditions.
Despite posting a strong total of 203, Mumbai lost by 5 wickets. Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 87 off 41 balls, sealing victory for Punjab Kings with six balls to spare. With the win, Punjab reached their first IPL final in 11 years.
The final will be held on Tuesday at the same venue, where Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bangalore—both teams chasing their maiden IPL title.
