Mumbai Indians (MI) secured a thrilling win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 clash on Thursday, May 14 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in Dharamshala. Despite the win, the BCCI has slapped MI batting coach Kieron Pollard with fine worth 15 percent of his match fees and added a demerit point to his disciplinary record.
Pollard has admitted to the offence and accepted the charges imposed by the match referee Pankaj Dharmani.
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Why was Pollard punished by BCCI?
During the 19th over of the second innings, Pollard was seen using abusive words towards the fourth umpire. The BCCI confirmed the news by sharing a statement on Friday.
"Pollard was found to have breached article 2.3 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘use of an audible obscenity during a match'" said the statement.
During the offence, Pollard breached Level 1 of the IPL's Code of Conduct during MI's thrilling win over the Shreyas Iyer-led side.
Mumbai Indians' strong batting performance
PBKS posted a competitive total of 200 runs in their 20 overs after several batters made useful contributions. Opener Prabhsimran Singh led the charge with a blistering 57 off 32 deliveries, while Azmatullah Omarzai provided the finishing touch with a quickfire 38 off 17 balls.
In reply, MI started positively but lost wickets at regular intervals. Ryan Rickelton scored 48 off 23 balls, while Rohit Sharma managed 25 off 26 deliveries before departing. Naman Dhir also failed to make an impact, scoring just nine runs.
However, man of the match Tilak Varma anchored the chase brilliantly with an unbeaten 75 off 33 deliveries. The left-hander stitched together a rapid 56-run partnership in just 20 balls with Will Jacks, who remained unbeaten on 25 off 10 balls. MI eventually sealed the match by six wickets with one ball to spare.
Next challenge for MI in IPL 2026
MI have endured a difficult campaign in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, reeling at ninth place with just eight points in hand after facing elimination from the playoff race. Now, MI have only two games remaining in the season. They will lock horns with Ajinkya Rahane's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their upcoming fixture on May 20 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.