Left-arm India pacer Arshdeep Singh has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a heated on-field incident involving New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The ICC announced on Tuesday that Arshdeep has been fined 15 percent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the high-stakes final, when India posted a formidable 255/5 and went on to win convincingly by 96 runs, claiming the title.
“Arshdeep was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match,” the ICC said in statement on Tuesday.
“In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Arshdeep’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period,” it added.
The Incident: 11th Over Fireworks
The incident occurred in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings. After Mitchell had struck Arshdeep for successive boundaries, the bowler fielded a ball on his follow-through and hurled it back toward the striker’s end.
Though Mitchell was well within his crease, the throw struck him directly on the pads/thigh. The Kiwi vice-captain reacted furiously, leading to a tense standoff that required India captain Suryakumar Yadav and the on-field umpires to intervene.
No Formal Hearing Required
Arshdeep accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Allahuddien Paleker and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock levelled the charge.
Notably, Level 1 breach carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned.
All Is Well Between Mitchell And Arshdeep
While the initial moment was tense, Arshdeep Singh was seen apologizing to Daryl Mitchell immediately after the over and again during the post-match celebrations.
In a light-hearted interview with Harsha Bhogle after the trophy presentation, Arshdeep joked about his “unintentional” accuracy.
“I just went to apologize to Mitchell. My throw reverse-swung a bit too much and hit him, so I just wanted to say sorry. It was not intentional,” said India pacer.
