Published on: Mar 11, 2026 11:40 am IST|Updated on: Mar 11, 2026 11:40 am IST
Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh found himself guilty despite resolving his on-field issues with New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell. Arshdeep was found guilty by ICC after he threw a ball towards Mitchell on his follow-through, which struck the batter on his right thigh. On Tuesday, March 10, the International Cricket Council penalized the Indian pacer for the same.
The altercation between Daryl Mitchell and Arshdeep Singh occurred during the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, played on Sunday evening at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was the 11th over, and Arshdeep bowled a full toss to Mitchell wide outside the off stump. Mitchell couldn’t do much damage to the ball as he blasted it back to the bowler, Arshdeep, who was in his follow-through and collected it with his bowling arm. Frustrated with the length he bowled, Arshdeep hurled an aggressive throw towards the stump, but the ball hit Mitchell on his right thigh.
The hit sparked an immediate reaction from Mitchell, who shouted at the bowler and animatedly walked towards Arshdeep. It was an animated yet aggressive display by Daryl Mitchell, and the on-field umpires, along with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, had to intervene to de-escalate the situation. After the over was over, Arshdeep rushed towards Mitchell to apologize and mend their differences. Even when the match got over, the two were seen together cracking some jokes, wherein Arshdeep told Mitchell that his throw ‘got too much reverse swing,’ which landed on Mitchell instead of the stumps. Arshdeep also clarified that it was unintentional, and the two then hugged to wrap up the matter.
The Indian pacer has been slapped with a 15% match fee deduction after violating Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for his on-field fight against Daryl Mitchell. The violation pertained to Article 2.9, which addresses the act of throwing a cricket ball, or any equipment, towards or near a player in an unsafe or improper manner during an international match. This incident marked Arshdeep’s first offense in 24 months, resulting in the addition of one demerit point to his disciplinary record.
Arshdeep accepted the sanction proposed by Emirates ICC Elite Panel Match Referee Andy Pycroft, thereby avoiding the need for a formal hearing. The charge was laid by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, along with third umpire Allahuddien Paleker and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock. Under ICC regulations, Level 1 breaches generally attract an official reprimand at a minimum, with penalties extending up to 50% of the match fee and the addition of one or two demerit points at a maximum.
The Indian left-arm pacer was the second-best pacer in the tournament for India after Jasprit Bumrah. He scalped 9 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 7.45, with his best figures being 3/24. Arshdeep was mainly used with the new ball and bowled at least 2-3 overs in the powerplay. He was also used to bowling in the death at times.
Tags: T20 World Cup 2026