While the entire nation is still celebrating India winning their third T20 World Cup 2026 trophy, Arshdeep Singh got some bad news. The Indian fast bowler has been penalized for a breach of the rules, for which he has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Arshdeep Singh was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing the ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an international match”.
Arshdeep Singh got one demerit point with penalty.
The penalty was imposed due to a heated moment between the bowler and New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell. In the 11th over of the second innings, when New Zealand was chasing the target of 256 runs, Arshdeep bowled the ball aggressively at the batsman. This action was enough to break the ICC rules. Along with the fine, one demerit point was also added to the bowler’s disciplinary record.
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In an official press release, the ICC explained, “The minimum penalty for a Level 1 breach is an official reprimand, the maximum penalty is 50 percent of a player’s match fee and one or two demerit points. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within 24 months, they are converted to suspension points, and a player is banned.”
For Arshdeep Singh, this was his first offense in 24 months. There will be no formal hearing as the player has accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
ICC punished Arshdeep Singh for which incident?
The incident between the fast bowler and Daryl Mitchell happened during the fourth ball of the 11th over when Arshdeep Singh bowled the ball aggressively and it hit the batsman’s thigh pad. Daryl Mitchell immediately reacted and threw some words at the Indian fast bowler.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav reached the spot to normalize the situation. Placing a hand on the batsman’s shoulder, Yadav helped the batsman calm down while Arshdeep got some advice from the field umpire.
Later, both the batsman and the bowler shook hands with each other, ending the heated exchange.
India created a string of records by winning its third T20 World Cup title.
India won the final against New Zealand by 96 runs and won the title for the third time, the highest number of T20 World Cup trophies won by any team worldwide. It is also important to remember that Team India was also the defending champion in the tournament.
For the first time, a team has been successful in defending its title successfully and that too on its home ground. March 8 was the night when the Men in Blue set one record after another.
Read more: Rinku Singh pays emotional tribute to his late father after India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win
