Fine hits Andy Flower, fifteen per cent of his match earnings for breaking IPL rules when Bengaluru edged past Mumbai in Raipur under Sunday night lights.
A sudden stir broke out when Krunal Pandya stepped into trouble late in RCB's run chase. In the 18th over, he swung hard at a delivery from AM Ghazanfar. The ball flew high toward distant long-on. There, Naman Dhir juggled it mid-air close to the rope. Then came the quick pass into Tilak Varma’s hands.
Andy Flower penalised after the heated umpire exchange
Footage showed something else entirely, though Tilak raised his arms like it was six, thinking Dhir's hand brushed the cushioned edge; the slow-motion angles proved the player never met the rope at any point during the play.
Right then, Andy Flower showed up, talking fast beside the fourth umpire by the dugout. Later on, the IPL said the RCB coach broke Article 2.3 of the conduct rules - swearing loudly enough for others to hear while play was happening.
In an official statement, the IPL said: “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.”
Flower owned up to what he did, the update noted. With that came agreement on the penalty handed down by match official Amit Sharma.
A twist in the match deepened the tension of an already tense clash between teams fighting for postseason chances. Not far off, 166 on the board came up slowly, built through steady deliveries shaped by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, his hand stopping four batters cold.
Things were falling apart for RCB's run chase until Krunal Pandya stepped up, smashing 73 from just 46 deliveries to breathe life back into their effort. Even so, Mumbai stayed ahead as the match neared its end, 16 needed off the last six balls. Then came fierce swings by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam, turning tension into triumph on the very final delivery.
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