Hardik Pandya has been fined ₹12 lakh for breaching the IPL’s Code of Conduct during Mumbai Indians’ match against Gujarat Titans on March 29, Saturday. The penalty was imposed for violating the league’s over-rate rules.
“Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 9 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad,” a statement released by the IPL read.
“As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.2 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined INR 12 lakh,” it further added.
After Pandya missed MI’s opening game against Chennai Super Kings due to a previous year’s penalty, the recent fine has raised concerns about his availability for the upcoming match against Kolkata Knight Riders, scheduled for March 31, 2025, at Wankhede Stadium. Will he be suspended from the upcoming match? Let’s find out.
Why Did Hardik Pandya Miss the IPL 2025 Opener?
Hardik Pandya was forced to miss Mumbai Indians’ opening game against Chennai Super Kings due to a carryover penalty from the previous season. As per the 2024 IPL regulations, a third violation of the over-rate resulted in a one-match suspension for Pandya at the start of the 2025 campaign. Suryakumar Yadav stepped in as captain for the opening match, where MI lost to CSK.
IPL’s Revised Penal Code for Over-rate Violations
In the 2025 IPL season, the regulations governing slow over-rates have been significantly revised from the previous year. A key change is the elimination of automatic captain suspensions.
“Effective this season, a new Code of Conduct will be implemented from the TATA IPL 2025 season, introducing a demerit points system and suspension points that will remain valid for 36 months,” the BCCI said in an official release.
In the 2024 season, a captain faced a mandatory one-match ban if his team committed slow over-rate offenses in three straight games. However, this has now been replaced with a demerit points framework in the ongoing IPL 2025.
According to the updated rules, skippers will face monetary penalties and accumulate demerit points for slow over-rates, with a typical fine of 25% of their match fee. These points remain active for 36 months, and repeated violations could trigger steeper punishments. For instance, if a team reaches four demerit points, a 100% fine might be incurred, potentially leading to even tougher sanctions.
Hardik Pandya’s Availability for Next Match
While Hardik Pandya’s leadership has been under scrutiny this season, his immediate availability for the KKR match is unlikely to be affected by the latest fine. However, any further breaches of the over-rate rules could have more serious implications, leaving Mumbai Indians with additional challenges in the remaining season.
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