Shreyas Iyer fined ₹12 lakh for slow over-rate during PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 clash

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has been fined ₹12 lakh because his team bowled too slowly in their first IPL 2026 match against the Gujarat Titans at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. This is the first fine of the season.

The Indian Premier League said that since this was the team’s first offense under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, they only applied the minimum fine. If the team makes the same mistake again, the fines for the captain and the players will be much higher.

Even with the fine, the Punjab Kings had a good match. PBKS won by three wickets, chasing 163 runs with five balls left. The star of the match was Australian debutant Cooper Connolly, who scored 72 not out from 44 balls. He helped the team win after Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna caused a collapse in the middle of the innings.

Also read -'Iyer on Fire' - Fans react Shreyas Iyer guides Punjab Kings to Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025

Why Shreyas Iyer was penalised in PBKS vs GT match

Shreyas Iyer was fined ₹12 lakh because his team, Punjab Kings, bowled too slowly in their first IPL 2026 match against the Gujarat Titans. Bowling too slowly is called a slow over-rate, and it is against IPL rules. Since this was the first time PBKS broke this rule this season, the league gave only the minimum fine. If the team makes the same mistake again, the fine will be higher for the captain and the players.

The fine comes under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with slow over-rate offences.

The IPL said, "Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has been fined after his team bowled too slowly in Match 4 of IPL 2026 against Gujarat Titans at the New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh. This was the team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct. Iyer was fined ₹12 lakh."

IPL slow over-rate rules and penalties explained

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made strict rules in the IPL to stop slow over-rates. Teams must finish their 20 overs in 90 minutes, including two strategic time-outs (50 minutes total). Time for DRS, injuries, and drinks breaks is counted, but if a team still cannot finish in time, they are fined.

If a team breaks this rule a second time in the season, the captain is fined ₹24 lakh. The other players, including the impact substitute, are fined ₹6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever is less.

If the same team breaks the rule a third time in the season, the captain is fined ₹30 lakh and also gets a match ban. The rest of the team is fined ₹12 lakh or 50% of their match fee, whichever is less.

The BCCI wants matches to finish on time. They also use the Smart Replay System (SRS) to help the third umpire make decisions faster and save time. This has helped in some matches this season.

Fans React as PBKS Skipper Faces Fine in IPL 2026

Fans had mixed reactions after Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer was fined ₹12 lakh for a slow over-rate in the IPL 2026 opening match against the Gujarat Titans. Some fans said the fine was fair and that players should follow the rules to keep the game on time. Others felt it was too harsh, especially since PBKS still won the match. Many supporters praised Iyer for leading the team to a thrilling win despite the penalty.