Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya will miss his team’s first match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season against Chennai Super Kings. This is because he received a one-match ban last season for his team’s slow over-rate. However, he will be the last captain to face such punishment, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has changed the rules for the 2025 IPL season.
New Over-Rate Rules in IPL 2025
BCCI recently held a meeting at its headquarters in Mumbai, where IPL captains and team managers were present. During this meeting, the board decided that captains will no longer receive match bans for slow over-rate offenses. Instead, the BCCI will now follow the International Cricket Council (ICC) system, which penalizes captains with demerit points. These demerit points will remain valid for three years.
In the past, captains like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals) were banned for one match after their teams committed three over-rate offenses. But from IPL 2025 onwards, captains will not be banned for slow over-rates. Instead, they will receive demerit points and fines. However, a ban can still be imposed in extreme cases.
How Will Demerit Points Work?
The new demerit point system will work as follows:
A Level 1 offense will result in a fine of 25% to 75% of the captain’s match fee. Demerit points will also be given, and they will stay in the captain’s record for three years.
A Level 2 offense, if it is more serious, will lead to four demerit points.
If a captain collects four demerit points, the match referee can impose an additional penalty. This could be a 100% fine on the match fee or more demerit points.
In the future, if a player accumulates enough demerit points, they could face a match ban. However, for slow over-rate violations, there will be no match ban under normal circumstances.
A BCCI official explained to PTI, “If a captain commits a Level 1 offense, he will be fined and given demerit points. If he reaches four demerit points, he may face a bigger penalty. But a direct match ban will not be imposed for slow over-rate offenses anymore.”
Hardik Pandya’s Ban in IPL 2025
Although the new rules will be applied from IPL 2025 onwards, Hardik Pandya will still have to serve the one-match ban given to him in IPL 2024. As a result, he will not be able to play Mumbai Indians’ first match against Chennai Super Kings.
Impact Player Rule to Continue Until 2027
Another major discussion during the BCCI meeting was about the Impact Player rule. The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute one player during a match. This rule was introduced in IPL 2023 and has been a topic of debate. Some experts believe it makes the game more exciting, while others think it affects the balance of the teams.
However, the BCCI has decided to continue the Impact Player rule for now. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the rule will remain in place at least until 2027. After that, the IPL governing council will review it again and decide whether to keep or remove it.
Final Thoughts
The new over-rate rules mean that IPL captains will no longer have to worry about missing matches due to slow over-rate penalties. Instead, they will be fined and given demerit points. Hardik Pandya will be the last IPL captain to receive a ban under the old rules. Meanwhile, the Impact Player rule will stay in place for at least three more seasons.