Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower has been fined “15 per cent of his applicable match fee” for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct during the IPL 2026 match against the Mumbai Indians.
The IPL stated that Flower was found to have breached article 2.3 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, specifically related to the ‘use of an audible obscenity during a match’. The incident took place in the 17.2 over when Flower engaged in aggressive behavior with the fourth umpire after a disputed boundary call involving Krunal Pandya.
During the match, Krunal hit the ball towards wide long-on, where a catch was attempted but not completed due to a boundary line issue. Despite initial confusion, replays confirmed that the catch was not completed as the fielder had not touched the boundary cushions. Krunal did not attempt a run, resulting in a dot ball.
The IPL’s Code of Conduct, Article 2.3, prohibits the use of offensive, obscene, or profane language that can be heard by spectators or the viewing public. Flower has acknowledged the violation and accepted the penalty imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.
In a remarkable turn of events, Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a thrilling victory over the Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a last-ball finish. With this defeat, the Mumbai Indians joined Lucknow Super Giants as the second team to be eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff contention.
