PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer fined ₹12 lakh as Punjab Kings penalised for slow over-rate

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer was slapped with a ₹12 lakh fine after his team was found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate during their IPL 2026 opener against Gujarat Titans .

Despite the penalty, Punjab Kings began their campaign on a victorious note , chasing down a target of 163 with three wickets to spare. The win was orchestrated thanks to stellar bowling and a finishing flourish from young Australian batter Cooper Connolly , who remained unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls .

Pacer Vyshak Vijayakumar and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shared five wickets between them to restrict Gujarat Titans to 162 for six , putting PBKS in a strong position early. However, the chase stretched to 19.1 overs , just over the expected rate, triggering the fine.

According to the IPL’s Code of Conduct (Article 2.22) , a team’s first offence of the season for minimum over-rate violations results in a monetary penalty. Since this was PBKS’s first offence, Iyer was fined ₹12 lakh.

While the fine highlights the importance of maintaining pace on the field, the win showcased PBKS’s resilience and finishing prowess , giving fans a promising start to their IPL 2026 campaign.