Delhi Capitals receive major blow in race for IPL playoffs, Rishabh Pant suspended for one match

This was the third time Pant has been fined for maintaining a slow over rate. For the first two offences, he was fined but after DC breached the IPL Code of Conduct for the third time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Pant has been suspended for one match.

IPL released an official statement to announce the decision which read, "Mr Rishabh Pant, Captain, Delhi Capitals has been fined and suspended for one match for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 56 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on May 07, 2024."

"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 Lac and suspended for one match. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 12 Lac or 50 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser," the statement added.

As per Article 8 of the IPL Code of Conduct, the Delhi Capitals filed an appeal challenging the ruling of the Match Referee. Following this, the appeal was referred to the BCCI Ombudsman for review. The Ombudsman conducted a virtual hearing and affirmed that the decision of the Match Referee remains final and binding.

DC squared off against the Royals last Tuesday and clinched a 20-run win to keep their hopes of sealing a spot in the playoffs alive.

RR won the toss and opted to bowl first. Fine half-centuries from youngsters Jake Fraser McGurk (50 in 20 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) and Abhishek Porel (63 in 36 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) and an entertaining cameo by Tristan Stubbs (41 in 20 balls, with three fours and three sixes) took DC to 221/8 in their 20 overs.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3/24) was the top bowler for RR.

In the run chase, though RR lost their openers early, skipper Sanju Samson (86* in 46 balls, with eight fours and six sixes), Riyan Parag (27 in 22 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Shubham Dubey (25 in 12 balls with two fours and two sixes) kept RR in hunt but the dismissal of Sanju turned out to be a gamechanger that left RR short of a win. (ANI)