The punishment of star batsman Tim David has undermined Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s celebration after their successful IPL 2026 title defence. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned the Australian all-rounder for one match for not abiding by the IPL Code of Conduct for the final match against the Gujarat Titans.
In addition to the suspension, David is fined 50 per cent of his match fee and given two demerit points. As a result, his hard-hitting batsman will be absent from RCB's opening match of the IPL 2027 season.
The disciplinary action stemmed from the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. When the Gujarat Titans were batting, David threw an ice pack onto the field during the 10th over of the innings. This was found to be a breach of Article 2.9 of the IPL Code of Conduct.
According to the rules, players are forbidden from throwing a ball or any cricket-related equipment, such as bottles or other objects, at players, officials, umpires, match referees, or other personnel aggressively or dangerously. David's action was considered a serious breach of this rule by the BCCI, and action was taken.
The two demerit points awarded for the incident proved particularly costly because David had already accumulated disciplinary points earlier in the season. He received one demerit point for a single code-of-conduct violation in a match against the Mumbai Indians in the league stage. In another match against the same opposition, he was given two more demerit points for a similar offence.
With the latest two-point penalty from the final, David's total reached five demerit points across three separate incidents during the season. Under IPL disciplinary regulations, five demerit points mean a one-match suspension, which will be implemented in the next season.
David's place in RCB's title-winning campaign was not lost on the Australian power-hitter, but he showed his ability in the middle order and made a lot of impact in the tournament.
David scored 24 runs in the IPL 2026 final against the Gujarat Titans and helped RCB win the title. Throughout the season, he played in 16 games and scored 305 runs at an average of 33.88. His aggressive batting, highlighted by 23 sixes, made him one of the team’s most effective finishers.
While RCB fans celebrate a second consecutive IPL crown, the franchise will now have to begin its 2027 campaign without one of its key overseas stars as David serves his suspension.
