Tim David of Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been handed a one-match suspension following a breach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct during the 2026 final. In addition to the ban, the batter has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee and received two demerit points.
The incident occurred during the final against Gujarat Titans on Sunday. In the 10th over of the first innings, David reacted angrily to a decision by on-field umpire Nitin Menon. During the exchange, he threw an ice bag in the direction of the umpire. The act was subsequently reviewed and classified as a Level 1 offence under the IPL Code of Conduct.
According to Article 2.9 of the IPL’s disciplinary regulations, it is an offence for any player, team official, umpire, match referee or other individual to throw a ball or any item of cricket equipment—such as a water bottle—in an inappropriate or dangerous manner at another person during a match. David’s conduct fell within the scope of this provision, leading to the disciplinary action.
This was David’s third Level 1 offence during the 2026 IPL season. Earlier in the tournament, he had received one demerit point in Match 20 and two demerit points in Match 54. The additional two points from the final have taken his total to five demerit points for the season.
Under IPL disciplinary rules, the accumulation of five demerit points results in an automatic one-match suspension. As a consequence, David will be required to serve this ban in his team’s first match of the next IPL season. If he represents a different franchise in IPL 2027, the suspension will instead apply to that team’s opening match.
The following table summarises David’s disciplinary record during the 2026 IPL season:
| Match Number | Nature of Offence | Demerit Points Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Level 1 | 1 |
| 54 | Level 1 | 2 |
| Final | Level 1 | 2 |
| Total | — | 5 |
The sanction means Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin the next IPL campaign without David in their line-up for the opening fixture.