IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya hit with ₹12 lakh fine; RCB’s Tim David penalised for disciplinary breach

In a double blow, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Royal Challengers Bengaluru hard-hitter Tim David are fined following the marquee MI vs RCB IPL 2026 at the Wankhede on Sunday. While the IPL has slapped a 25% fine on David for ‘disobeying the umpire’s instructions’, Pandya is penalised INR 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate. David, on the other hand, has also accumulated one demerit point for a Level 1 Code of Conduct breach in his side’s 18-run win.

Per an IPL release, RCB’s David breached Article 2.4, which relates to ‘disobeying an umpire's instruction during a match on two separate occasions.

Both instances occurred during RCB’s innings, with the first one unfolding midway through the 18th over when the on-field officials changed the ball. The release states that David wanted to have a look at the ball and did not return it to the umpires despite being repeatedly asked to do so.

A viral clip on the internet shows David inspecting the ball and juggling it with one hand, with Kannur Swaroopanand, one of the two on-field umpires, trying to retrieve it from David; his fellow on-field umpire, Virender Sharma, soon joins him to stop David from doing so.

The second instance took place two overs later, during the 20th over, when, according to IPL’s statement, David "again did not hand over the ball to the umpires, amounting to repeated failure to comply with the instructions or directives of the umpires."
Meanwhile, this is David’s first violation of the season, and he has accepted the match referee’s decision to penalise him.

On the other hand, Pandya’s offence is also MI’s first this season, with their team skipper being fined INR 12 lakh.

While the RCB is third on the points table following Sunday’s win in the marquee clash, MI is currently eighth on the points table with three losses in four contested matches.