Even as Royal Challengers Bangalore won their first Indian Premier League match in 2019, captain Virat Kohli was penalised for slow over rate.
Kohli was fined under the IPL’s Code of Conduct after his team maintained a slow over-rate during match against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Saturday.
As it was his team’s first offense of the season relating to minimum over-rate offenses, he was fined Rs 12 lakh.
The India captain hit a crucial 67 to guide his side to their first win after six straight defeats. Bangalore’s six earlier losses had equalled the record for the worst start to an IPL season.
Former RCB player Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 99 to take Kings XI Punjab to 173/4 off their 20 overs, putting extra pressure on Kohli’s team who have made an error-strewn start to the campaign.
But the India skipper plundered early runs to put Bangalore on course. Even after the run rate eased, South African veteran AB de Villiers (59) and Australian Marcus Stoinis (28) reached the target in the final over to provide a morale-boosting eight-wicket win.