Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson had a night to forget on Wednesday as his team faced a 58-run defeat against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. To make matters worse, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) imposed a ₹24 lakh fine on Samson for a slow over-rate, marking RR’s second offence under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct.
This comes just weeks after Riyan Parag, who was the stand-in captain in a previous match against Chennai Super Kings, was fined ₹12 lakh for the same violation.
BCCI Comes Down Hard on Repeat Offenders
The BCCI’s official statement confirmed that Rajasthan Royals were penalised under minimum over-rate regulations. Alongside Samson’s hefty fine, the rest of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were also fined ₹6 lakh or 25% of their match fees, whichever is less.
This penalty is seen as a warning to all teams to maintain the pace of play, a crucial aspect of the league’s fair play standards.
Gujarat Titans Dominate With Bat and Ball
Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans delivered an all-round performance to post a strong total of 217/6. The star of the night was Sai Sudharsan, who smashed a brilliant 82 off 53 balls. Supporting contributions came from Jos Buttler (36), Shahrukh Khan (36), and Rahul Tewatia (24).
The Titans’ bowlers followed it up with disciplined spells, consistently picking wickets and keeping RR under pressure. Despite valiant efforts from Shimron Hetmyer (52) and Sanju Samson (41), Rajasthan were bowled out for 159 in 19.1 overs.
Rajasthan Royals Need Urgent Course Correction
With this being RR’s third loss of the season and another over-rate offence, questions are being raised about their on-field discipline and strategic decisions. The BCCI’s penalties show they are not taking repeated violations lightly.
As the tournament heats up, Rajasthan Royals will need to regroup quickly — both in terms of performance and compliance — to stay in the playoff race.
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