Tim David Fined 30% Match Fee for Obscene Gesture in IPL 2026

According to the IPL, the Australian cricketer was found guilty of violating Article 2.6 of the Code of Conduct, which pertains to "using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting."

Level 1 breaches under the IPL Code of Conduct carry the possibility of match fee fines and demerit points, with sanctions accepted by the player being considered final and binding.

The league further confirmed that David admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.

"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 IPL 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," the statement concluded.

Coming to the match, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision seemed to pay off when MI sunk to 28/3 within the powerplay courtesy of a Bhuvneshwar masterclass. However, Naman Dhir (47 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and Tilak Varma (57 in 42, with three fours and two sixes) built the innings with an 82-run stand, taking MI to 166/7 in 20 overs.

Bhuvneshwar (4/23) was the pick of the bowlers for RCB, with Josh Hazlewood (1/33) and Romario Shepherd (1/18 in three overs) also chipping in useful overs with the ball.

During the chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli (0) for a second successive golden duck and eventually sank to 39/3, with Deepak Chahar (2/33) dictating the game. However, Krunal built a 55-run stand with Jacob Bethell (26 in 27 balls, with two fours) and another useful 38-run stand with Jitesh Sharma (18), reaching a brilliant counter-attacking fifty.

However, Corbin Bosch (4/26) and Allah Ghazanfar (1/33) pulled off things with crucial wickets, removing Krunal as well, reducing RCB to 149/7 in 18 overs.

Romario Shepherd (4 in 11 balls) struggled against Jasprit Bumrah (0/20), leaving RCB with 12 to get in the final over. A flurry of extras from Raj Angad Bawa and a six from Bhuvneshwar helped ease the pressure despite Romario's dismissal, and RCB secured a last-ball win, with Rasikh Salam Dar (3*) hitting the winning runs.

With seven wins and four losses, RCB is at the top of the points table, with 14 points. MI is at the ninth spot with three wins and eight losses, eliminated from the playoff race along with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

- ANI