April 10, 2025: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been slapped with a hefty fine of ₹24 lakh after his team was found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 fixture against the Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. The match, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, ended in disappointment for the Royals, who succumbed to a massive 58-run defeat while chasing a challenging target of 218.
The IPL issued an official statement confirming that this was Rajasthan Royals’ second offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with minimum over-rate offences. As a result, Samson faced an increased fine, while the rest of the playing XI, including the impact player, were fined either ₹6 lakh or 25% of their match fees, whichever is lesser.
“Rajasthan Royals Captain Sanju Samson has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 23 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad,” the IPL said in the statement.
This wasn’t the first time the Royals were penalized for a slow over-rate this season. Earlier, in a match against Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, the team—then captained by Riyan Parag in Samson’s absence—was also fined for a similar offence. As it was the first infraction, Parag was fined ₹12 lakh.
The Royals’ decision to bowl first against Gujarat backfired, as the Titans posted an imposing total of 217/6, with multiple batters contributing explosive cameos. In response, Rajasthan’s innings crumbled under pressure with regular wickets falling, eventually bowing out 58 runs short of the target.
With this loss, Rajasthan registered their third defeat of the season, and with discipline issues adding to their woes, the team will need to regroup and refocus quickly to stay in the playoff race.