NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their title defence with a dramatic, last-ball triumph over Mumbai Indians, yet the night brought an additional twist off the field as head coach Andy Flower received a fine for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the electrifying Sunday clash. The league later issued an official confirmation that Flower was penalised at 15 per cent of his applicable match fee for a Level 1 breach under Article 2.3 of the tournament’s code, a clause that covers “the use of an audible obscenity during a match.”
The incident occurred in the 17.2 over of RCB’s tense chase. Flower reacted sharply to the fourth umpire after a boundary call involving Krunal Pandya triggered confusion and anger on the RCB side. At that stage, Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar was in action and Krunal lofted the ball towards wide long-on. Mumbai Indians fielder Naman Dhir then produced an athletic piece of fielding near the boundary area, parrying the ball towards Tilak Varma as he stepped over the boundary line. Varma failed to hang on to the catch, and at that moment it appeared as though he was signalling that the ball had cleared for six, with the players seemingly under the impression that Dhir had made contact with the boundary cushions.
However, television replays later clarified that Dhir had not touched the ropes. With Krunal, who appeared to be struggling with cramp, not making an attempt to run, the delivery was ultimately assessed as a dot ball. Flower’s frustration was clear as the controversy unfolded, and he exchanged heated words with the fourth umpire in the aftermath of the decision. The IPL subsequently said that the former Zimbabwe captain accepted the charge, admitted the offence, and agreed to the sanction handed down by match referee Amit Sharma.
The league’s statement also underlined the wording of the rule, noting that under Article 2.3 the offence includes offensive, obscene, and/or profane language that is audible to spectators or the wider viewing public.
Despite the off-field distraction, RCB managed to steady themselves and deliver one of the most remarkable wins of IPL 2026, slipping past Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a chaotic finish that swung heavily in the final over. The result propelled Bengaluru to the summit of the points table and boosted their chances of finishing in the top two. For Mumbai Indians, though, the defeat proved decisive in their campaign, with the five-time champions becoming only the second franchise after Lucknow Super Giants to be knocked out of the playoff race.
