BCCI to punish Rishabh Pant [Source: AFP]Rishabh Pant’s IPL captaincy has been under the hammer ever since the player switched teams from the Delhi Capitals to LSG. Time and again, his leadership has been questioned, and it reflects on the team’s performance as LSG became the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2026.In the ongoing IPL season, the team has gone through a period of turmoil, and several on-field decisions made by the LSG captain have raised alarm bells. The LSG leader also made a huge mistake in the IPL 2026 match vs CSK at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, and he is set to be punished by the BCCI.Mistake that Pant made during LSG Vs CSK MatchNormally, it should take a maximum of 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete an innings in a T20 game (including all the strategic timeouts), but Pant’s LSG took all the time in the world to complete their quota of 20 overs.The CSK innings started at 7:30 PM IST, and the full-overs (20) were completed by 9:30 PM. The side took two hours to complete the CSK innings, and it goes against IPL’s time restriction policy.Pant’s side failed to adhere to the time limit, and they were penalized for slow over rate as only four fielders were allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the last over of CSK innings.BCCI set to punish Rishabh Pant for over-rate offenceWhen the team fails to complete their full 20 overs on time, the captain of the side faces BCCI’s wrath, and as a result, Pant sits on the firing line. The LSG captain will be fined by the IPL for maintaining a slow over-rate in the LSG Vs CSK match.As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Rishabh Pant was fined INR 12 Lakh. If he commits the same mistake in the next game or in the remaining fixtures, Pant would be fined 12 Lakhs by the IPL governing body.Also Read: Rishabh Pant On Firing Line: Big Names LSG Can Release After IPL 2026 ExitPant's captaincy reflects on his batting and team's performanceLSG owner Sanjiv Goenka invested 27 crores to acquire Pant last season, but the move has failed to pay any dividends. In IPL 2025, the southpaw accumulated only 269 runs in 14 matches, with a strike rate of 133.Not only Pant, but LSG also crumbled as they failed to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs.It was expected that the Indian star would finally perform in the ongoing season, but the trend from last season continued, and so far, he has only scored 251 runs in 12 matches, with a strike rate of 138.With Pant’s captaincy affecting his batting, the team has also taken a hit as LSG sit last in the points table, and surprisingly, despite boasting a strong squad, they became the first team eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff race.Also Read: Pakistan Captain Shatters RCB Star’s Record To Slam Fastest Fifty In WT20Is
