Delhi Capitals Captain Axar Patel Fined Rs 12 Lakh for Slow Over Rate

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over rate during his side’s three-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in Match 55 of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

The Indian Premier League (IPL), in an official media advisory issued on Tuesday, stated that the penalty was imposed under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct , which deals with minimum over-rate offences. Since it was Delhi Capitals’ first offence of the season, Axar was fined Rs 12 lakh.

Despite the penalty, Axar played a crucial role in Delhi Capitals’ thrilling win, scoring a fighting 56 runs. South African batter David Miller also starred with a counter-attacking 51 as DC successfully chased down a challenging target of 211 runs with an over to spare.

Punjab Kings had earlier posted 210 for 5 after skipper Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 59, while Priyansh Arya smashed 56 at the top of the order. However, the hosts failed to defend the total as Delhi batters held their nerve in the high-scoring encounter.

The victory kept Delhi Capitals’ slim playoff hopes alive. However, sitting in seventh place, they now face a must-win situation in most of their remaining matches to stay in contention for the top four. The team will need not only consistent wins but also a strong net run rate boost , while depending on results elsewhere in the table as the race for qualification intensifies.

Delhi Capitals will next face Rajasthan Royals in their upcoming league fixture on Sunday. The team will also look to avoid further disciplinary action related to over-rate violations as the tournament enters its crucial phase.

The IPL has been strict on maintaining over rates this season, with captains and teams facing fines for repeated delays in completing their overs within the stipulated time.