The IPL 2026 season has once again found itself at the centre of controversy, this time involving the star player of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The incident took place shortly after RCB’s dramatic last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Sunday, May 10.

However, amid the emotional celebrations that followed the thrilling finish, cameras captured one RCB star making an obscene hand gesture from the dugout, with the clip instantly going viral online. The incident quickly sparked reactions among fans, and the IPL governing body soon stepped in with disciplinary action following the controversial moment.

RCB star fined and handed demerit points after viral gesture

IPL confirmed on Monday that Tim David had breached Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct. The RCB batter was fined 30% of his match fee and also received two demerit points for violating Article 2.6, which relates to “using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting.”

According to the IPL’s official advisory, David admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma. The incident occurred moments after RCB sealed a thrilling victory off the final delivery of the match. As celebrations erupted in the Bengaluru camp, the Australian all-rounder was seen showing his middle fingers while reacting passionately towards the Mumbai Indians camp.

The gesture instantly became a major talking point online, especially considering David’s past association with MI. The Australian represented Mumbai Indians for three seasons before joining RCB, and fans were quick to speculate that the reaction may have been emotionally charged following the dramatic win. Interestingly, this is not the first disciplinary issue involving David this season. Earlier in IPL 2026, he had already received a hefty fine and one demerit point for disobeying umpire instructions during an earlier clash between MI and RCB.

Also READ: IPL 2026 [WATCH]: Tilak Varma-Naman Dhir catch confusion costs MI as RCB seal last-ball thriller in Raipur

RCB knock Mumbai Indians out of playoff race

RCB’s innings got off to a disastrous start as Virat Kohli departed for a golden duck, while Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar also fell cheaply to leave the defending champions struggling at 39/3 inside the powerplay. Krunal Pandya smashed 73 off 46 deliveries, striking five sixes and four boundaries to keep Bengaluru alive in the chase.

Jacob Bethell and Jitesh Sharma chipped in with useful contributions, but the Mumbai Indians continued to fight back through Corbin Bosch and Deepak Chahar. Tim himself endured a forgettable outing with the bat, getting dismissed for a golden duck at a crucial stage of the chase. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerged as the unlikely hero in the tense final over. After already starring with the ball earlier in the match with figures of 4/23, the veteran pacer smashed a crucial six to swing momentum back in RCB’s favour.

Needing two runs off the final ball, Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled back successfully to complete the winning run and spark wild celebrations in the RCB camp. The dramatic victory not only ended RCB’s two-match losing streak but also officially eliminated the Mumbai Indians from the IPL 2026 playoff race.

Also READ: IPL 2026: Subramaniam Badrinath issues clarification following uproar over comment on Krunal Pandya’s injury during RCB vs MI game