India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been fined 15% of his match fee and assigned one demerit point by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a Level 1 breach of the code of conduct in the 2026 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
The offense fell under Article 2.9, which addresses “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 incident occurred during the 11th over of New Zealand’s chase of 256 when Arshdeep fielded the ball and threw it toward the stumps, striking Daryl Mitchell on the pads.
The incident did not go well with Mitchell. He immediately confronted that in a very animated way. However, Arshdeep walked back to his mark without apologizing. This made Mitchell approach him and even speak to the on-field umpires. With the head escalating, India captain Suryakumar Yadav and umpire Richard Illingworth intervened and calmed down Mitchell. However, soon after Arshdeep finished the over, he approached Mitchell and shook hands and even patted the batter.
Player clarifies incident, expresses regret
Speaking to the Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle after India’s 96-run victory, Arshdeep explained that it was totally unintentional from his side. Arshdeep said,
“Just went to apologise to Mitchell. My throw reverse-swung and hit him so just wanted to say sorry to him for that. It was not intentional.”
Later, a video posted on the BlackCaps Instagram account shows Arshdeep once again apologizing to Mitchell, after which the two players shook hands. The duo was even having a laugh during the interactions.
ICC disciplinary process and penalty details
The charge was reported by on-field umpires Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Allahuddien Paleker, and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock. This was Arshdeep’s first offence in a 24-month period.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50% of the match fee, along with one or two demerit points. In this instance, the ICC applied a mid-range penalty: 15% of the match fee and one demerit point. The disciplinary action underscores the ICC’s continued enforcement of player conduct standards during international cricket tournaments.