Sanju Samson fined ₹24 lakh for slow over rate, joins penalised captains list

Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson has been fined ₹24 lakh for maintaining a slow over rate during his team’s clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 9 in IPL 2025. The penalty, issued under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, marks RR’s second over-rate violation this season, compounding their early campaign struggles.

This is a significant blow to the Royals, who suffered a heavy 58-run loss to Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following this defeat, RR have slipped to seventh place on the points table, with just two wins from their first five matches. To make matters worse, the rest of the RR playing XI, including the Impact Player, were also fined ₹6 lakh each or 25% of their match fee—whichever is lesser.

The April 9 match was only Samson’s second as captain this season. He had played the first three games purely as a batter while Riyan Parag temporarily led the side. Interestingly, Parag himself was fined earlier in the tournament for a similar offence during RR’s win against Chennai Super Kings, making RR one of the few teams to be penalised twice for over-rate breaches already.

Samson now becomes the fifth captain in IPL 2025 to be fined for slow over rates. He joins a growing list that includes Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians), Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants), Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), and his own teammate Riyan Parag. The frequency of these penalties raises concerns about match tempo and game management across teams.

The official IPL statement confirmed the fines, stating: "As this was his team’s second offence under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, Samson was fined INR 24 lakhs. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, will be fined either INR six lakhs or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser."

Rajasthan Royals will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 13, with pressure mounting to get their campaign back on track and avoid further disciplinary slip-ups.