Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant was reprimanded for maintaining a slow over-rate in the final game for his side on Tuesday, May 27, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This was the third time that Pant was pulled up for his side falling short of bowling the required number of overs in the stipulated time and hence the fine increased to Rs 30 Lakh for him as well as the whole team.
"As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Rishabh Pant was fined INR 30 Lakh," an IPL statement read. "The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 12 Lakh or 50 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser."
If the rules until the last season had been followed, a third warning would have meant a one-match suspension for Pant, which would have carried forward to the next season as it did for Hardik Pandya, who missed his side's season opener in IPL 2025. However, with no suspensions for over-rate offences, Pant if retained and fit, would start the next season for the Super Giants.
If there were any doubts, Pant might have ensured a retention with his second IPL century and first for the Super Giants in the league stage finale. Following Mitchell Marsh's sixth fifty of the season, Pant smashed a 55-ball century, taking his side to what looked like a strong score of 227 runs after being put in to bat. However, Jitesh Sharma's audacious unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls took RCB home, not without some drama, as LSG ended the season with a defeat.
Pant did take home some brownie points with a century and by withdrawing an appeal after Digvesh Rathi had run Jitesh out at the non-striker's end. LSG ended the season with 12 points, in seventh place while Punjab Kings will take on RCB in the first qualifier, followed by Gujarat Titans facing the Mumbai Indians in the eliminator.