Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after a viral video allegedly showed him making an offensive gesture following RCB’s thrilling last-ball victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026 on Sunday. The clip, which quickly spread across social media platforms after the match in Raipur, appeared to show David making a middle-finger gesture from the RCB dugout moments after Bengaluru sealed a dramatic two-wicket win.

However, the footage has not been officially verified, and there is currently no confirmation regarding the authenticity of the video or the exact context behind the alleged incident. The controversy emerged after one of the most dramatic finishes of the IPL 2026 season. Chasing 167 against the Mumbai Indians at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, RCB needed 15 runs in the final over and looked to be losing control of the chase after Romario Shepherd’s dismissal.

Mumbai Indians seemed favourites at that stage, but experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar swung the momentum back with a crucial six under pressure. The equation then came down to the final delivery, where Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled the winning runs to spark wild celebrations inside the RCB camp.

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As emotions exploded in the dugout, cameras captured several intense reactions from players and support staff. It was during those celebrations that Tim David’s alleged gesture became a major talking point online, with fans debating whether adrenaline, competitive rivalry or frustration contributed to the moment.

Interestingly, David shares a strong history with the Mumbai Indians. The Australian power-hitter spent three seasons with MI before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the IPL 2025 auction. Since moving to Bengaluru, he has become an important finisher in the middle order and played a key role in RCB’s successful 2025 title-winning campaign.

I am still unsure about what was fhe context of Tim David showing the finger. But if it is what many are claiming to be, then…

I apologise to every MI fan here for hyping up this guy. Yes he is one of the best finishers in the world but nah..cannot have such crap against your… pic.twitter.com/Xry29NOOPy

— Anuj Nitin Prabhu (@APTalksCricket) May 11, 2026

Last season, David scored 187 runs in 12 matches at an outstanding average of 62.33 and a strike rate above 185, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous finishers in the tournament.

Ironically, the clash against his former franchise turned into a disappointing outing for David. He was dismissed for a golden duck by Corbin Bosch during a crucial stage of the chase, leading some fans online to speculate that emotions may have spilt over after the tense finish.

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Despite the viral attention surrounding the footage, neither the IPL nor the Royal Challengers Bengaluru has released an official statement regarding the alleged incident so far. Meanwhile, RCB head coach Andy Flower was officially fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the same match after an aggressive exchange with the fourth umpire.