Andy Flower, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Head Coach, has been docked 15% of his match fee following an altercation with the fourth umpire in RCB’s last-minute IPL 2026 victory over Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Raipur. The clash occurred in the 17.2 over during RCB’s run chase after a controversial boundary ruling against Krunal Pandya infuriated the RCB team management. Flower approached the fourth umpire and spoke inappropriately to him, violating Article 2.3 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which constitutes a Level 1 offense.
According to the IPL statement, Flower acknowledged the violation and agreed to the penalty imposed by match referee Amit Sharma. This fine seemed inconsequential compared to the jubilation of the defending champions, who won a nail-biting match with only two wickets in hand and knocked Mumbai Indians out of playoff contention.
BCCI Tightens Grip on Discipline
Flower’s suspension is part of the stricter disciplining policy that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is implementing in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League. Franchise managers and team owners have been cautioned about adhering to the protocols during game days, especially concerning the dugout and access to players.
The BCCI has informed the franchises that further breaches would lead to sterner penalties. The presence of the Anti-Corruption Unit in observing behavior means that the message is loud and clear – emotions are natural, but crossing the line will have its repercussions.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya Turn the Match
This was because of a heated moment that happened in the course of chasing. Krunal Pandya hit a delivery from AM Ghazanfar that went up in the air towards long on. This is where Naman Dhir did a juggled catch in the rope area. It looked as though Tilak Varma was indicating a six, although this was not the case. Instead, it was a dot ball.
RCB ended up scoring 167 in the most thrilling manner. This was spearheaded by a very calm 73 scored by Krunal, even as he was suffering from cramps. In the meantime, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had earlier bowled out MI’s batting order for 166/6, after having scored 57 runs by Tilak Varma and 47 runs by Naman Dhir.
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When only 12 were required in the last over, it was Bhuvneshwar who ended up bowling the decisive over when he struck a six off Raj Angad Bawa. Then it became a race against time as Rasikh Salam Dar scored two runs from the last ball. This enabled them to win the match.
