Axar Patel Fined for Slow Over Rate in IPL Match Against Punjab Kings
Delhi Capitals Captain Penalized
File image of Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel(Photo: @SumitSingh7781/X)
Mumbai, May 12: Axar Patel, the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC), has received a fine of Rs 12 lakh due to a slow over rate during their recent match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
The IPL announced that Patel was penalized after his team failed to maintain the required over rate in Match No. 55 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) against PBKS.
Since this was the first infraction of the season for his team under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which addresses minimum over-rate violations, Patel was fined INR 12 lakhs.
In this match, DC triumphed over Punjab Kings, achieving the highest successful chase at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in IPL history.
Batting first, PBKS showcased an aggressive batting performance, scoring 210/5, thanks to significant contributions from Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryansh Shedge.
While chasing a target of 211, DC faced early setbacks, finding themselves at 33/3 within the first five overs. However, a strong partnership between Axar and David Miller helped stabilize the innings.
Axar scored 56 runs off 30 balls, and Miller added 51 runs, keeping Delhi in contention. Despite PBKS's efforts, including key wickets from Ben Dwarshuis and Marcus Stoinis, the match remained competitive.
Ultimately, Madhav Tiwari became the unexpected hero for DC, hitting 18 runs off 8 balls, including a vital six. Ashutosh Sharma contributed with a quick 24 runs off 10 balls, leading Delhi to a total of 216/7 in the 19th over.
Despite the loss, PBKS is currently positioned fourth on the points table with 13 points from 11 matches. For DC, this victory broke a streak of consecutive losses and kept their hopes alive in the tournament, as a defeat would have meant elimination.