Punjab Kings is in danger of being hauled up for slow over-rate again after Arshdeep Singh delivered a 10-ball long over in its IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on April 11.

PBKS has been guilty of exceeding the time limit in both of its two completed matches so far, and skipper Shreyas Iyer was fined Rs. 24 lakh after its match against Chennai Super Kings.

Will Shreyas Iyer be banned if Punjab Kings is found guilty of slow over-rate again?

However, if PBKS is guilty of slow over-rates again, Shreyas will not be facing a ban as he would be according to old regulations.

The IPL has quietly rewritten how it polices over-rate offences.

In previous seasons, captains faced a one-match ban after three slow over-rate violations. That rule is now gone. Instead, the league has moved towards a system that prioritises financial penalties and in-game disadvantages over outright suspensions.

The shift mirrors the International Cricket Council’s approach, with the introduction of demerit points. Every sanction imposed by the match referee adds to a player’s or official’s tally, and those points stay on record for 36 months. The threat, then, is less immediate but more cumulative, a slow burn rather than a sudden hit.

It is not just the captain who pays.

Under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct:

The captain is fined Rs. 24 lakh for a second offence

Every other member of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, is fined Rs. 6 lakh or 25% of their match fee (whichever is lower)

There is also the possibility of in-match fielding restrictions, which can be far more damaging in tight contests than any post-match fine.

Published on Apr 11, 2026