RCB Captain Rajat Patidar Fined for Slow Over-Rate in IPL Match Against MI

Rajat Patidar Faces Penalty for Over-Rate Violation

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 8: Rajat Patidar, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has been penalized after his team was found guilty of a slow over-rate during the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium, as per the IPL Media Advisory.

This incident marks RCB's first infraction of the season under Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which addresses minimum over-rate issues, resulting in a fine of INR 12 lakh for Patidar.

Under Patidar's leadership, RCB has shown remarkable promise, winning three out of their initial four matches in the IPL.

His contributions as both a captain and a batsman have been noteworthy.

RCB's victories under Patidar include wins against some of the most formidable teams in IPL history, such as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Mumbai Indians (MI), with the team managing to secure these wins on their opponents' home grounds.

In four matches, Patidar has amassed 161 runs, featuring two half-centuries. His composed and strategic batting style has provided essential stability to the RCB lineup.

As the season progresses, early indications suggest a bright future for RCB, potentially under the guidance of Rajat Patidar.

In the match, MI won the toss and chose to field first.

Despite an early exit for Phil Salt, Virat Kohli (67 runs off 42 balls, including eight fours and two sixes) and Devdutt Padikkal (37 runs off 22 balls, with two fours and three sixes) ensured MI would regret their decision, forming a 91-run partnership. Following their dismissal, captain Rajat Patidar (64 runs off 32 balls, with five fours and four sixes) and Jitesh Sharma (40* off 19 balls, with two fours and four sixes) maintained a high run-rate, leading RCB to a total of 221/5.

MI's Hardik Pandya (2/45) and Trent Boult (2/57) took two wickets each but conceded many runs. Vignesh Puthur also claimed a wicket, while Jasprit Bumrah returned with figures of 0/29 in four overs on his comeback.

During MI's chase, they found themselves at 99/4 in 12 overs, but a thrilling 89-run partnership between Tilak Varma (56 runs off 29 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Hardik Pandya (42 runs off 15 balls, with three fours and four sixes) posed a significant threat to RCB.

Nevertheless, Krunal (4/45), Josh Hazlewood (2/37), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/48) took crucial wickets at pivotal moments, securing a 12-run victory for RCB. Currently, RCB sits in third place with three wins and one loss in four matches, all three victories achieved away from home, while MI has managed only one win out of five games, placing them in eighth position.