Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s thrilling last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians came with a setback off the field as head coach Andy Flower was fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the high-voltage clash on Sunday.The IPL confirmed in an official statement that Flower was fined 15 per cent of his applicable match fee for a Level 1 offence under Article 2.3 of the tournament’s Code of Conduct, which relates to the “use of an audible obscenity during a match.”The incident took place during the 17.2 over of RCB’s tense chase when Flower reacted angrily towards the fourth umpire following a controversial boundary decision involving Krunal Pandya.
Facing Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar, Krunal lofted the ball towards wide long-on where Mumbai Indians fielder Naman Dhir completed an acrobatic relay effort near the ropes. Dhir parried the ball towards Tilak Varma while stepping over the boundary line, but Tilak failed to complete the catch and appeared to signal a six, seemingly believing Dhir had touched the boundary cushions.Television replays later confirmed that Dhir had avoided contact with the ropes. Since Krunal, who appeared to be cramping, did not attempt a run, the delivery was eventually ruled a dot ball.Flower was visibly frustrated by the confusion surrounding the decision and exchanged heated words with the fourth umpire. The IPL later stated that the former Zimbabwe captain admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.“As per Article 2.3, the offence covers the use of offensive, obscene and/or profane language audible to spectators or the viewing public,” the IPL statement added.Despite the drama, RCB held their nerve to complete one of the most astonishing wins of IPL 2026, edging Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a chaotic final-over finish. The victory lifted RCB to the top of the points table and strengthened their hopes of securing a top-two finish.For Mumbai Indians, however, the defeat proved fatal as the five-time champions became only the second team after Lucknow Super Giants to be eliminated from the playoff race.
