Kamal Ghorui
Tim David has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee and handed two demerit points for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s thrilling last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur. The incident occurred during the emotional celebrations that followed RCB’s dramatic two-wicket win at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday. Chasing 167 on a difficult surface, Bengaluru sealed victory off the final ball after Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled back for the winning second run.
As the RCB dugout erupted in celebration, cameras captured Tim David making an offensive hand gesture while celebrating Mumbai Indians’ elimination from the tournament. The moment quickly went viral on social media amid the chaotic scenes following the finish. The IPL confirmed the punishment in an official media advisory on Monday. “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’,” the statement read. The Australian all-rounder accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma. “Tim admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee, Amit Sharma,” the advisory added. The controversy came after one of the matches of the IPL 2026 season. RCB survived a dramatic collapse during the chase after losing Virat Kohli for a golden duck and slipping to 47/3 in the powerplay. Krunal Pandya then produced a fighting 73 despite severe cramps, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with both bat and ball. After earlier taking 4/23 to dismantle Mumbai’s top order, Bhuvneshwar smashed a crucial six in the final over to swing the game back in RCB’s favour. The win pushed RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 points table while officially ending Mumbai Indians’ playoff hopes.
