While Team India is still basking in the glory of its record-breaking third T20 World Cup title, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced a disciplinary sanction against star pacer Arshdeep Singh. The 27-year-old left-arm speedster has been fined 15% of his match fee for an incident that occurred during the high-octane final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The announcement, which was made 48 hours after the World Cup final clash, was made over Arshdeep’s aggressive throw at Daryl Mitchell in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings.
What happened in the 11th over of the New Zealand innings of the final?
After being played back to his follow-through by Daryl Mitchell, Arshdeep fielded the ball and immediately threw it back toward the batter.
The throw struck Mitchell on the pads while he was well within his crease and not attempting a run. The incident led to a heated verbal exchange between the two players, requiring captain Suryakumar Yadav and on-field umpire Richard Illingworth to intervene and de-escalate the situation.
The Rule: Article 2.9 Explained
The ICC found Arshdeep in violation of Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. This specific article relates to:
“Throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.”
Because this was classified as a Level 1 breach, the pacer was also handed one demerit point. This is Arshdeep’s first offence in a 24-month period. Had he reached four demerit points, he would have faced a suspension.
Arshdeep apologised to the batter
Despite the formal fine, the story has taken a viral turn on social media due to Arshdeep’s sportsmanship post-match. The pacer was seen approaching Daryl Mitchell after the final to offer a personal apology.
Speaking to host broadcaster Harsha Bhogle after the game, Arshdeep said:
“I told him I didn’t hit him intentionally, it was just the reflexes taking over.”
Why the delay?
Disciplinary announcements typically follow a 24-to-48-hour window as the Match Referee (Andy Pycroft) reviews the umpires’ reports and allows the player time to respond. Arshdeep accepted the sanction, which eliminated the need for a formal hearing and allowed the ICC to close the matter on Tuesday morning. Overall, Arshdeep had a great tournament, finishing with 9 wickets from 8 matches, at an economy of 8.46.