IPL 2025: Why were Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya fined after Qualifier 2?

Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS defeated MI in Qualifier 2 by five wickets.

Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on June 1 in Ahmedabad. This ensured their qualification for the IPL 2025 final, where they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3, also in Ahmedabad.  

After winning the toss, PBKS’ Shreyas Iyer decided to bowl first. Then, heavy rains caused the match to be postponed, but no overs were lost.

Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma both scored 44, and MI reached 203/6 in 20 overs thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s 38 and Naman Dhir’s 37. For PBKS, Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets.

Priyansh Arya scored 20 runs while Prabhsimran Singh was out early for 6. Josh Inglis’ 38 in 21 balls provided the catalyst. However, it was the partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera that won the match. 

The game was set up for the PBKS by Wadhera, who scored 48 runs in 29 balls with four fours and two sixes, and Iyer, who added 84 runs in 47 balls. After that, Shreyas Iyer led his team home with a 41-ball 87* knock that included eight sixes and five fours. After hitting three of those sixes in an over against Reece Topley, he ended the game for PBKS by hitting three more sixes in an over against Ashwani Kumar.

With one over remaining and five wickets in hand, PBKS triumphed with a score of 207/5. In his four overs, Ashwani Kumar conceded 55 runs and claimed two wickets.

Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya fined for slow over-rate offence

Following their conviction for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer and his MI counterpart Hardik Pandya were hit with hefty fines by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In the high-stakes match, both sides maintained a slow over-rate; as a result, Shreyas and Hardik were fined.

PBKS were found guilty of sustaining a slow-over rate for the second time in the 18th edition of the IPL. Shreyas was consequently hit with a fine of INR 24 lakhs. The rest of the PBKS players will be charged either INR 6 lakhs or 25 per cent of their match fees, whichever is lesser.

“As it was his team’s second offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Iyer was fined INR 24 lakhs. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 6 lakh or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser,” the IPL statement read.

In contrast, Hardik was fined INR 30 lakh for the third consecutive offence in the ongoing IPL season, in which MI maintained a slow over-rate. This is the highest fine any skipper has ever had to pay in the current IPL season.

The rest of the MI squad, including the impact player, have been fined either INR 12 lakh or 50 per cent of their match fees, whichever is lesser.

“As it was his team’s third offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Pandya was fined INR 30 Lakh. The rest of the members of the Playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 12 Lakh or 50 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser, “the statement read.

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