- By Priyanka Koul
- Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
RCB vs MI IPL Match: IPL 2026 has been marred by a series of controversies, ranging from penalties and on-field behaviour to incidents like the Rajasthan Royals manager being caught using a phone in the dugout. In the latest episode, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has been penalised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his conduct during a match.
David was punished on Monday for his behaviour during RCB’s clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 12. The right-handed batter’s on-field altercation with the umpires did not go down well with the match referee, resulting in a deduction from his match fees.
That was utter disrespect towards the on-field umpires.
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) April 12, 2026
The umpire repeatedly asked for the ball, but Tim David remained adamant about checking it.
Finally, Virender Sharma, who was standing at a distance, had to issue a stern warning to David. pic.twitter.com/n612PGVSWq
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was also fined for maintaining a slow over-rate. As it was MI’s first offence of the IPL 2026 season, Pandya was fined Rs 12 lakh. The match between Mumbai and Bengaluru stretched to 4 hours and 22 minutes, making it the longest game of the season so far. While Pandya faced a penalty, no action was taken against RCB skipper Rajat Patidar.
As for David, he was fined 25 per cent of his match fees for failing to follow the umpires’ instructions. He was found guilty of breaching Article 2.4 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to “disobeying an umpire’s instruction during a match.” In addition to the fine, the 30-year-old was handed one demerit point. David admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee.
"David has been fined 25% of his match fee and has also accumulated one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 20 against Mumbai Indians (MI)," an official IPL release stated.
During the match, David was involved in a heated moment with on-field umpires Virender Sharma and Swaroopanand Kannur during RCB’s batting innings. The incident occurred in the 18th over after David smashed a six off Hardik Pandya’s bowling. Due to the distance of the hit, the umpires decided to change the ball.
When the replacement ball was brought out, David began inspecting it himself, even playing around with it and laughing. Despite being asked by the umpires to hand it over, he continued to hold on to the ball for a brief period.
The situation escalated as the umpires grew visibly frustrated, before David eventually returned the ball following a stern warning from Virender Sharma. The incident has since drawn criticism, with several experts questioning the batter’s conduct on the field.