Tim David has been fined 30 per cent of his match fees after breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s dramatic win over Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday. The Australian batter was also handed two demerit points for making what the IPL described as an “obscene, offensive or insulting” gesture during the heated clash.
The incident came after one of the most dramatic finishes of IPL 2026, where RCB sealed a last-ball thriller to strengthen their playoff push while effectively ending Mumbai’s hopes of qualifying. The IPL later confirmed the punishment in an official statement released after the game.
IPL, RCB vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“Tim David, All-rounder, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been fined 30% of his applicable match fee and has also accumulated two demerit points for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team officials,” the statement said.
“Tim was found to have breached article 2.6 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting.’ Tim admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee Amit Sharma.”
David, who previously spent three seasons with Mumbai Indians before joining RCB during the 2025 auction, did not have much impact with the bat in the match after getting dismissed for a first-ball duck.
However, cameras later appeared to catch the Australian making a middle-finger gesture shortly after RCB completed the dramatic win, with clips quickly going viral across social media.
The gesture reportedly came during the emotional celebrations inside the RCB camp after the defending champions somehow escaped with victory in the final over.
WHAT DID TIM DAVID DO DURING RCB VS MI?
As tensions peaked during the final moments of the game, eagle-eyed fans spotted David seemingly making an offensive hand gesture after the match-winning moment.
The visuals quickly spread online, with many fans speculating that the reaction came immediately after RCB secured the victory.
The IPL eventually reviewed the incident and fined the Australian all-rounder under Article 2.6 of the league’s Code of Conduct, which specifically deals with gestures considered obscene, offensive or insulting.
David admitted to the offence and accepted the punishment handed out by match referee Amit Sharma.
The incident added another dramatic subplot to what had already become one of the most intense matches of the IPL 2026 season.
HOW RCB DEFEATED MI IN RAIPUR THRILLER
The clash itself turned into a complete rollercoaster.
Mumbai Indians looked in trouble early after Bhuvneshwar Kumar ripped through the top order with a fiery spell. The veteran pacer dismissed Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav during the Powerplay to put MI under massive pressure.
But Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir rebuilt the innings before a late push helped Mumbai reach 166.
RCB’s chase then collapsed early as Virat Kohli fell for a duck alongside quick dismissals of Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar.
That was when Krunal Pandya produced arguably the defining innings of the season.
Battling cramps and constant pressure, Krunal smashed 73 off 46 balls to drag RCB back into the contest before late drama in the final over saw Bhuvneshwar Kumar hit a crucial six and Rasikh Salam Dar complete the winning run off the last ball.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
