Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not had a good start to IPL 2021 as his team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals in their season-opener last Saturday.

Moreover, MS Dhoni was also fined INR 12 lakhs for maintaining a slow-over rate in that contest and that is exactly what he needs to be careful of in the upcoming game against Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Dhoni cannot afford to be held responsible for his team's slow over-rate, or else, he could be severely punished for this act. Prior to the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had given instructions to all eight participating franchises regarding the maximum limit of 90 minutes for bowling 20 overs in an innings.

As per the IPL Code of Conduct, violating the rule for the first time would mean docking of INR 12 lakh and in case of a repeated offence within the next couple of games, then the captain could face a harsh penalty.

The match ban decision will rest with the match referee who will take the final call.

The IPL team captain will be fined 12 lakh and 24 lakh for the first two offences, respectively. The third offence will result in a fine of 30 lakh and a one-match ban. From the second offence onwards, 6 lakh/25 per cent match-fee (whichever is lower) will be the penalty for each team member. For any subsequent violations, they'd be fined 12 lakhs/50 per cent match-fee.

As per the IPL Playing Conditions, the officials will calculate the over-rate at the end of each innings. However, they will take the following allowances into consideration as well according to Clause 12.7.3.