Intro
IPL imposed sanctions after heated exchange between Flower and fourth umpire during controversy.
BENGALURU
Andy Flower has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after the IPL found the Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach guilty of breaching the tournament’s Code of Conduct during the dramatic clash against Mumbai Indians.
The disciplinary action followed a heated confrontation involving Flower and the fourth official during the latter stages of RCB’s tense run chase at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
According to the IPL Governing Council, Flower breached Article 2.3 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to the “use of an audible obscenity during a match.”
The controversy erupted during the 17.2 over of the innings after RCB were denied a boundary following a third-umpire review. Flower, accompanied by mentor Dinesh Karthik, approached the fourth umpire to protest the decision.
While Karthik escaped punishment, the IPL stated that Flower’s conduct during the exchange crossed acceptable limits.
In an official statement, the league confirmed that the former Zimbabwe captain admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.
Despite the controversy on the sidelines, RCB held their nerve to register a thrilling two-wicket victory off the final ball and climb to the top of the IPL points table with their seventh win of the campaign.
Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerged as the hero of the night with an outstanding all-round performance. After picking up four wickets earlier in the match, Bhuvneshwar smashed a crucial six in the final over to seal victory for Bengaluru.
Needing nine runs from the last three balls, Bhuvneshwar cleared the boundary off Raj Angad Bawa to swing momentum decisively in RCB’s favour.
“That six is something I’ll definitely remember,” Bhuvneshwar said after the match. “I’ve taken wickets many times before, but hitting that six gave me a different kind of enjoyment.”
The experienced seamer currently leads the Purple Cap standings with 21 wickets, marking the fourth time in his IPL career he has crossed the 20-wicket mark in a single season.