Raipur: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has been penalised 15 per cent of his match fee following a violation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct during a high-stakes encounter against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday.

The league confirmed the disciplinary action in an official statement, noting that Flower breached Level 1 protocols regarding "use of an audible obscenity."

"Andy Flower, Head Coach, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been fined 15% of his applicable match fee for breaching Level 1 of the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players and Team officials," the IPL statement read.

The infraction, specifically a violation of Article 2.3, occurred during the 17.2 over of the match when Flower engaged in an aggressive exchange with the fourth umpire. The veteran coach reportedly displayed a rare, animated temperament following a contentious sequence in the 18th over, where a complex boundary-line catch involving Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma was ruled a "no-run" after a review for a potential six.

Flower admitted to the violation and accepted the penalty determined by Match Referee Amit Sharma.

Match Highlights

The disciplinary incident punctuated a dramatic contest that began with RCB winning the toss and electing to field. The strategy initially bore fruit as Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a masterclass with the ball, reducing Mumbai to a precarious 28/3 during the powerplay.

Mumbai recovered through a resilient 82-run partnership between Naman Dhir (47 off 32) and Tilak Varma (57 off 42), eventually reaching a total of 166/7. Bhuvneshwar remained the standout bowler for Bengaluru, finishing with figures of 4/23, supported by Josh Hazlewood (1/33) and Romario Shepherd (1/18).

The Chase and Result

The Bengaluru pursuit began poorly, as star opener Virat Kohli fell for his second consecutive golden duck. The team languished at 39/3 under pressure from Deepak Chahar (2/33) before Krunal Pandya stabilised the innings. Krunal recorded a vital half-century, aided by contributions from Jacob Bethell (26) and Jitesh Sharma (18).

The match swung back toward Mumbai when Corbin Bosch (4/26) and Allah Ghazanfar (1/33) claimed crucial wickets, leaving RCB at 149/7 after 18 overs. Following a restrictive spell from Jasprit Bumrah (0/20), Bengaluru required 12 runs from the final over.

A combination of extra deliveries from Raj Angad Bawa and a timely six from Bhuvneshwar tilted the momentum back to the visitors. Despite the late dismissal of Shepherd, Rasikh Salam Dar (3*) secured the victory on the final delivery of the game.

League Standings

With this victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru ascends to the summit of the IPL points table, boasting seven wins and 14 points. Conversely, the loss officially eliminates the Mumbai Indians from playoff contention; they remain in ninth place with a 3-8 record, joining the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the first teams to be knocked out of the postseason race.

With inputs from ANI