Stand-in captain Riyan Parag finally breathed a sigh of relief as Rajasthan Royals registered their first win of IPL 2025 on Sunday after two consecutive defeats. Following losses to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opener and Kolkata Knight Riders midweek, Rajasthan bounced back in their last home game in Guwahati with a thrilling victory over Chennai Super Kings. However, the win came with a setback as Parag was penalized for a breach of IPL regulations.
On Monday, the BCCI fined Parag for Rajasthan’s slow over-rate during the match against Chennai at the Barsapara Stadium. Under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which deals with minimum over-rate violations, he was charged INR 12 lakhs as it was the team’s first offence of the season.
Parag is the second captain penalized for this offence in IPL 2025, following Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya, who was fined after MI’s loss to Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Unlike last season, where repeated violations led to a captain serving a one-match ban, the BCCI clarified ahead of IPL 2025 that slow over-rate penalties will now be handled through fines and demerit points instead of suspensions.
In the match, Sri Lankan wrist-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga exploited Chennai’s struggles against spin, finishing with figures of 4 for 35. Sandeep Sharma held his nerve in the final over, successfully defending 20 runs, including taking the wicket of MS Dhoni. Nitish Rana’s crucial half-century earlier in the innings helped Rajasthan set a competitive total, which the bowlers managed to defend.
Rajasthan Royals will now shift focus to their next game against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh.
