Mocking a fan because he criticised you? Mocking a fellow player’s skin colour in the garb of banter? These are things that do not belong to professional sport at the highest level in 2026. Yet Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh decided to do both and in a span of just 24 hours. This has increased the heat on two-time World Cup winning young Indian pacer, but the critics on this account seem to be holding the light in the right direction.
The Indian international has plunged himself into a massive public relations crisis following two separate social media incidents.
Colorism in the Garb of Banter
The primary flashpoint ignited when a video recorded by Arshdeep surfaced on Snapchat. In the clip, Arshdeep turned the camera toward Mumbai Indians’ left-handed batter Tilak Varma and said:
“Oye Andhere, sunscreen lagaaya?” (Hey dark one, did you apply sunscreen?)
He then pointed the camera toward Mumbai Indians teammate Naman Dhir, calling him the real “noor” (glow/light) of Punjab, while branding Tilak as “fake.”
While the interaction was staged as dressing-room banter among friends—with Tilak calmly replying that he already applied sunscreen—the public reception was overwhelmingly negative. A large section of fans and former cricketers called out the underlying colorism and casual racism embedded in the joke.
The incident drew a furious response from former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who strongly condemned the behavior and recalled his own painful experiences of facing skin-tone discrimination during his playing days. Writing on X, Sivaramakrishnan demanded strict accountability, stating:
“Nobody believed me. Everyone mocked and trolled me. Arshdeep should be banned this season and should be paid on a pro-rata basis. The players today should be hit where it hurts the most.”
The Fan Retaliation: An Elitist Clapback Backfires
Instead of de-escalating the brewing storm, Arshdeep’s subsequent social media activity heavily compounded the damage. A frustrated Punjab Kings fan messaged him directly on Snapchat, pleading:
“Punjab naa hta lao ipl vicho please, kyo sadi bejtii kra rha oo yrr.” (Please remove Punjab’s name from the IPL, why are you embarrassing us like this?)
Arshdeep took a screenshot of the user’s message and posted it to his public story with a highly defensive, elitist counter-attack written in Punjabi:
“Tuc ehoja kehda teer maarea punjab li? Jo tuhadi beshti hogi singh saab? Chips colddrink de pese ghrdea toh mngn vale v hun salaah denge v naam rkhna k nhi?” Translation: “What great feat have you achieved for Punjab, Singh saab, that you feel so humiliated? Are people who still beg their parents for chips and cold drink money now going to advise me on whether to keep the name or not?”
The response sparked immediate outrage across social media platforms like X and Instagram. Netizens slammed the cricketer for punching down at a young supporter, labeling his tone as incredibly arrogant, toxic, and disrespectful to the very fans who finance the league and support the athletes.
BCCI’s Stance and the Lack of Media Training
The twin controversies have erupted at the worst possible time, raising major questions about whether modern Indian cricketers are receiving adequate media and behavioral training.
Just a week prior to this incident, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had issued a strict, comprehensive advisory to all IPL stakeholders—including players and support staff—mandating professionalism regarding off-field conduct, guest interactions, and social media behavior. This came after Arshdeep’s previous vlogs accidentally dragged teammate Yuzvendra Chahal into a vaping-related controversy.
Reports suggest that the Punjab Kings management had already instructed Arshdeep to halt his vlogging activities to ensure complete focus on their failing campaign. By ignoring the warning signs and publicly mocking his own fan base, Arshdeep has exposed a severe lack of professionalism that could force the BCCI’s disciplinary committee to step in.
Why Must Arshdeep Focus On Cricket?
It is a known fact that before becoming a famous India player, nobody knew Arshdeep Singh the vlogger. It is very clear that people follow his vlog only because he is a cricketer first. At least when playing IPL or international cricket, the player can decide not to publish. He can record whatever he wants and then publish later on, in free time so that he doesn’t have to deal with fans’ reactions to that. It will serve a dual purpose of focus and cutting down negativity.