India fined for slow over-rate in second ODI against South Africa

The Indian cricket team has been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur on December 3, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed.

Richie Richardson

of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the penalty after India were found to be two overs short of the required over-rate, even after accounting for time allowances. Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct , players are fined five per cent of their match fee for each over not bowled within the allotted time.

KL Rahul

accepted the sanction and pleaded guilty, avoiding the need for a formal hearing. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Rohan Pandit , with involvement from third umpire Sam Nogajski and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal .

The fine comes after India’s narrow defeat in the second ODI against South Africa, despite stellar batting performances. Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored centuries, posting a challenging total of 358/5. South Africa, however, successfully chased the target, led by Aiden Markram’s 110 off 98 balls, securing a four-wicket victory. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed the fine on 8 December 2025 for India’s slow over-rate. Despite losing this match, India won the ODI series 2‑1, demonstrating consistent dominance across the three games.

The slow over-rate was likely due to South Africa’s high-scoring chase, which required India’s bowlers to take extra time for adjustments, strategic planning, and frequent field changes as they tried to defend a big total. These delays, rather than any deliberate attempt to slow the game, contributed to India falling behind the required over-rate, eventually resulting in the fine.

By being two overs short , India lagged roughly 8-9 minutes behind the expected over-rate. That extra time might seem small, but in the tightly scheduled flow of limited-overs cricket, even a lag of a few minutes can breach ICC regulations .

The loss came after the final ODI, but it did not affect the overall outcome of the series, as India had already secured a 2-1 victory. With the ODI leg concluded, the focus now shifts to the T20I series beginning on December 9.