What's next for Delhi Capitals after Rishabh Pant's suspension ahead of playoffs

Ahead of a crucial IPL 2024 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals faced a setback as BCCI suspended their captain Rishabh Pant, and imposed a hefty fine of INR 30 lakh. The suspension stems from maintaining a slow over rate, a breach of the IPL Code of Conduct, observed for the third time this season during DC's recent match against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi.

Board of Control for Cricket in India stated, "Rishabh Pant, Captain, Delhi Capitals, has been fined and suspended for one match for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 56 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on May 07, 2024."

RISHABH PANT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR THE MATCH vs RCB DUE TO OVER-RATE PENALTY....!!!! pic.twitter.com/53BeYJStFE

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 11, 2024

Hefty penalty on Rishabh Pant

The IPL's playing conditions stipulate escalating penalties for over-rate offenses, with the third offense resulting in a one-match suspension and a fine of INR 30 lakh for the captain. Moreover, the rest of the DC players in the XI for the match against RR faced fines of INR 12 lakh or 50% of their match fees, whichever is lesser.

Delhi Capitals' appeal rejected

The Delhi Capitals lodged an appeal against the decision made by the match referee, which was subsequently forwarded to the BCCI Ombudsman for assessment. After conducting a virtual hearing, the Ombudsman concluded that the match referee's ruling stands as final and conclusive, in accordance with Article 8 of the IPL Code of Conduct, as stated by the BCCI.

Impact on Delhi Capitals

The suspension of Pant necessitates DC to appoint a stand-in captain for their upcoming match against RCB. With playoff hopes hanging in the balance, losing Pant not only robs the team of their captaincy but also their top batsman and wicketkeeper. David Warner is likely to fill in as captain, but the loss of Pant presents a major challenge for DC, who must secure victories in their remaining matches to keep their playoff aspirations alive.