Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Tim David landed in controversy after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took note of his obscene gesture during the tense IPL 2026 clash against his former franchise, Mumbai Indians, in Raipur on Sunday. In the clip that went viral on social media, David was seen giving the middle finger from the RCB dugout, prompting the cricket board to take disciplinary action. The incident became one of the biggest talking points in the aftermath of what was an emotionally charged thriller that had already sparked dramatic reactions from both camps.
It could not be established exactly when David made the gesture, but it definitely happened during RCB’s hard-fought chase of 167 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, which hosted its first IPL game in a decade. David was dismissed for a golden duck in the game by Corbin Bosch. He looked set to play the pull shot, but was undone by the slower bouncer from the fast bowler. The ball took the bottom edge of David’s bat as he attempted an aggressive pull shot and carried straight to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton.
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The clip soon went viral across social media, showing David giving the middle finger with both hands during a crucial moment in RCB’s chase. According to most fans, it was believed to be a gesture directed at his former franchise MI, but none of it has been officially confirmed or mentioned in the BCCI release.
With the clip exploding across social media, the BCCI responded with strict disciplinary action. The Australian batter was fined 30 per cent of his match fees and handed two demerit points for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team officials. He 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.”
David admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee, Amit Sharma.
This is the second time David has been punished by the BCCI for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct this season. The previous instance also occurred during the clash against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium. He was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and docked one demerit point for “disobeying an umpire’s instruction” during the IPL game. David was found guilty of breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for players and team officials.
“The first incident occurred when the umpires changed the ball during the 18th over (17.2) of RCB’s batting innings. He wanted to have a look at the ball and did not hand it over despite being repeatedly asked to do so,” the IPL said in the media statement released at the time.