The Mumbai Indians (MI) may have walked away with a dramatic victory against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala, but the franchise also landed in controversy after batting coach Kieron Pollard was fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the match on Thursday, May 14.
According to an IPL media advisory, Pollard was fined 15 per cent of his applicable match fee and handed one demerit point for using an “audible obscenity” towards the fourth umpire during the 19th over of Mumbai’s chase. The former West Indies all-rounder admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Pankaj Dharmani.
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The IPL statement confirmed that Pollard breached Article 2.3 of the tournament’s Code of Conduct, which deals with the use of abusive or offensive language during a match. The incident adds Pollard to a growing list of players and officials penalised for disciplinary issues during IPL 2026.
This season has witnessed multiple on-field controversies involving both players and coaching staff. Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Tim David was earlier fined for making an obscene gesture and separately penalised for showing dissent towards umpires. Rajasthan Royals youngster Riyan Parag was booked after being caught vaping inside the dressing room, while Kolkata Knight Riders batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi faced punishment for abusing equipment during a match.
Despite the off-field controversy, Mumbai Indians produced one of their best performances of the season by chasing down a massive 201-run target against Punjab Kings with one ball remaining.
Tilak Varma emerged as the star of the evening with a breathtaking unbeaten 75 off just 33 deliveries, guiding MI home under pressure. Will Jacks also played a crucial role in the final overs, smashing 25 not out from only 10 balls to complete the chase.
Punjab Kings appeared firmly in control for most of the contest after Prabhsimran Singh’s explosive 57 off 32 balls powered them to 200/8. Their bowlers also maintained pressure during the middle overs, with Yuzvendra Chahal conceding only 12 runs in his first three overs.
However, PBKS lost momentum after Marco Jansen’s expensive 18th over went for 22 runs, allowing Mumbai to swing the game back in their favour. Earlier, Ryan Rickelton had given MI a strong start during the powerplay, while Rohit Sharma struggled for fluency and Sherfane Rutherford failed to accelerate consistently.
The defeat marked Punjab Kings’ fifth consecutive loss after opening the season with seven straight wins. Their playoff hopes are now hanging by a thread, while Mumbai Indians will take confidence from a thrilling win that could revive their campaign.
