Double blow for LSG, skipper Pant fined heavily for slow over rate; Digvesh handed second demerit point

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 5 (ANI): Captain Rishabh Pant has been fined heavily for Lucknow Super Giants maintaining a slow over-rate in their electrifying encounter against Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Apart from Pant, leg spinner Digvesh Rathi was fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct in the same encounter.
The recent sanctions on LSG come following their narrow 12-run victory over Mumbai Indians on Friday. IPL released a statement on Saturday to announce that the Super Giants' skipper was penalised for breaching the Code of Conduct and was fined Rs 12 lakh as a result.
"Rishabh Pant, Captain, Lucknow Super Giants, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 16 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Mumbai Indians at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Friday," IPL said in a statement.
"As this was his team's first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Rishabh Pant was fined INR 12 Lakh," the statement added.
Pant became the third skipper after Rajasthan Royals' Riyan Parag and Mumbai Indians' skipper Hardik Pandya. The duo incurred a similar penalty for maintaining a slow over-rate against the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans, respectively.
Meanwhile, Digvesh, who has grabbed the headlines with his game-changing spells and fiery celebration, has been handed a second demerit point by the IPL. He replicated the notebook celebration that got him in trouble for the first time against Punjab Kings after dismissing Naman Dhir in the ninth over of the second innings.
As a result, he received another demerit point and has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. It was his second Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 in the ongoing season.
In the first instance, Digvesh was fined 25 per cent of his match fees for pulling off his notebook celebration after dismissing Priyansh Arya during LSG's clash against Punjab Kings.
"Digvesh Singh, Bowler, Lucknow Super Giants, has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team's match against Mumbai Indians at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Friday," IPL continued in the statement.
"This was his second Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season, and hence, he has accumulated Two Demerit Points, in addition to One Demerit Point, which he accumulated during LSG's match against Punjab Kings on April 01, 2025. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding," the statement concluded. (ANI)