Slow over rate is a term we frequently hear during cricket matches and is often followed by the news of a captain or a team being handed a penalty.
The penalties have changed a lot in the last few years. Fines are no longer the only punishment: teams can now be made to bring an extra fielder inside the circle during the match, lose runs to a stop clock or lose World Test Championship points.
But what does slow over rate mean?
What is the over rate in cricket?
Over rate is the average number of overs bowled by the fielding side in an hour of play.
According to ICC’s rules, teams are expected to maintain an average of 15 overs per hour in Test Cricket, 14.28 in ODIs and 14.11 in T20s.
Essentially, in ODIs, the bowling side is given 3.5 hours to complete their quota of 50 overs and in T20s, teams are expected to complete their 20 overs while bowling with an hour and 25 minutes.
If teams exceed these pre-set marks, they are deemed to have a slow over rate. Depending on the format and the competition, that can mean an in-match penalty, fines, demerit points or, in Test cricket, lost World Test Championship points.
Is the over rate different in the Indian T20 League?
Including the two strategic timeouts, which last for two minutes and 30 seconds, the bowling side is expected to maintain an over rate of 14.11 and finish their quota of 20 overs in one hour and 30 minutes, barring any delays due to weather or any such unforeseen circumstances.
What is the penalty for a slow over rate?
In-match penalty in T20Is and ODIs
Since January 2022, the ICC has punished slow over rates during the match itself in T20 Internationals, and the rule was later extended to ODIs. If the fielding side is not in position to bowl the first ball of the final over by the scheduled cut-off time, it may only have four fielders outside the 30-yard circle, instead of five, for the rest of the innings.
The stop clock
From June 1, 2024, the stop clock became a permanent part of men’s ODIs and T20Is. The fielding side must be ready to start a new over within 60 seconds of the previous one ending. The umpires give two warnings in an innings, and every further breach costs a five-run penalty.
Fines and World Test Championship points
Under the ICC Code of Conduct, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their team is short of the required rate. In the World Test Championship, a team also has one point deducted for every full over it is short, which can decide who reaches the final.
Penalties in the Indian T20 League
The Indian T20 League uses the same in-match penalty, with an extra fielder inside the circle for the remaining overs if a team is behind the clock. The fines under its Code of Conduct are:
- For the first offence in a season, the captain of the bowling team is fined INR 12 lakh.
- For the second offence in a season, the captain is fined INR 24 lakh and the other players are fined INR 6 lakh or 25% of their match fees, whichever is lower.
- Further offences bring bigger fines and demerit points for the captain.
Since the 2025 season, captains are no longer banned for a match after a third over-rate offence. Instead, they pick up demerit points, which stay on their record for three years and can lead to a suspension if enough of them build up.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @imVkohli