IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel fined ₹12 lakh for slow over-rate against Punjab Kings

Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Axar Patel was fined $12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate in his team's win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 encounter on Monday.

Delhi Capitals defeated Punjab Kings by three wickets in Dharamsala on Monday to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive. Axar Patel and David Miller scored fifties as Delhi Capitals chased down a total of 211 in 19 overs.

“Delhi Capitals (DC) Captain Axar Patel has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during the match, Match No. 55 of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala,” an IPL statement said.

"As this was his team's first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Axar Patel was fined INR 12 lakhs," the statement added.

Captains with slow over-rate offences in IPL 2026

Five of the 10 IPL teams have committed the slow over-rate violation. Apart from Axar, Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings), Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders), and Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) have all been penalised for slow over-rate violations.

Shreyas Iyer was also fined ₹24 lakh for repeating the offence during a game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on 3 April.

The IPL has introduced strict punishments for team captains and teams that commit slow over-rate offences. For the first offence during a season, the captain is handed a fine of ₹12 lakh, whereas for the second offence, the captain will be fined ₹24 lakh.

Additionally, each member of the playing XI and the impact player will be fined ₹6 lakh or 25% of the match fee, whichever is lower.

For a third offence and beyond, the captain receives a ₹30 lakh fine along with a one-match ban. The players are fined ₹12 lakh each or 50% of the match fee, whichever is lower.

DC get the better of PBKS

Punjab Kings were asked to bat first in Dharamsala, and the hosts went on to post 210/5 on the board on the back of fifties from Priyansh Arya (56) and Shreyas Iyer (59*). However, despite initial struggles, Delhi Capitals rode on half-centuries from Axar Patel and David Miller to seal a three-wicket win.

Madhav Tiwari, who registered figures of 2/40 and scored an unbeaten 18 runs from eight balls, was adjudged the Player of the Match.

"Obviously, like I’ve been saying for the last few games, the main issue was losing those crucial moments. Whenever the key phases of the game arrived, we ended up on the wrong side.

"Even then, I kept saying that this is a very good team and we are playing good cricket. It’s just that one or two moments in games cost us," Axar Patel said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“But that happens in a long tournament. Every day is different. So yes, very happy with the way the team played today and hopefully we can continue like this,” he added.

Delhi Capitals will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in New Delhi on Sunday (17 May).