The Indian Premier League (IPL) has made a big change to its rules about slow over-rates. Now, captains won’t face a match ban for these offences. Instead, they will lose points called “demerit points.” This decision came after a meeting of all IPL captains in Mumbai on Thursday, March 20.
In the past, slow over-rates caused trouble for team leaders. For example, during the 2024 IPL season, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant each got a one-match ban. Their teams took too long to bowl their overs for the third time that year. Because of this, Hardik will miss the first game of the 2025 season against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Rishabh faced a similar punishment last year. But now, the IPL wants to avoid such bans and try a new system.
So, what’s the new rule? Instead of banning captains, the league will give them demerit points when their team bowls too slowly. A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) explained it clearly. “If it’s a small offence, called a Level 1 offence, the captain could lose 25 to 75 percent of his match fee,” the source said. “Plus, he’ll get demerit points. These points will stay on his record for three years.”
𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵-𝘂𝗽
The
skippers gather for the #TATAIPL 2025 Captains’ Meet. pic.twitter.com/x987lO15Ew
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 20, 2025
But what happens if the offence is bigger? For a serious case, called a Level 2 offence, the captain gets four demerit points. After that, every time a captain collects four demerit points, the match referee steps in. The referee can then decide on a penalty. This could mean a fine of 100 percent of the captain’s match fee or even more demerit points. However, the good news for captains is that slow over-rates won’t lead to a match ban anymore. The points might pile up and turn into a ban later, but not directly for this issue.
Why did the IPL make this change? Many think it’s because fans and teams didn’t like seeing popular captains miss games. For instance, when Hardik and Rishabh sat out last year, it upset their teams’ plans and disappointed supporters. Now, the league hopes this new system keeps captains on the field while still punishing slow play.
Additionally, the IPL wants to keep games moving fast. Slow over-rates happen when a team takes too long to finish bowling their 20 overs. This delays the match and can make it less fun for people watching. By using fines and points instead of bans, the league thinks captains will still work hard to speed up their teams.
Will this really fix the problem? With this new rule, captains might not feel as worried about demerit points as they did about missing a game. On the other hand, losing a big chunk of their match fee could push them to stay on time. The BCCI source added, “We’ll track these points for three years, so captains need to be careful. Too many points could still lead to trouble down the road.”
For now, Hardik Pandya will serve his ban from last year in the 2025 opener against CSK. But moving forward, he and other captains won’t face the same risk of slow over-rates. Fans will likely see their favorite leaders play more often, which could make the IPL even more exciting.
As the IPL 2025 season starts soon, everyone will watch closely to see how this rule works. Will captains speed up their teams? Or will slow over-rates still be a problem? For now, the IPL has taken a clear step to keep its stars in action.
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