T20 World Cup 2026: Arshdeep Singh fined for ICC Code of Conduct breach during IND vs NZ final
India ace pacer Arshdeep Singh has been fined 15% of his match fee for a Level 1 breach of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday. He was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to throwing a ball, or any piece of cricket equipment, at or near another player in a manner considered inappropriate or potentially dangerous during an international match. He has also been handed one demerit point since it was his first offence in 24 months.
Actually, in the finals, when Arshdeep Singh was bowling the 11th over of the innings. Daryl Mitchell hit 2 consecutive sixes in the first 3 deliveries. After this, the fourth ball was wide, due to which Arshdeep had to bowl again. He bowled the fourth and fifth balls as dots, but when Arshdeep caught the fifth ball in the follow-through, he threw the ball towards Mitchell, which hit Mitchell's pads. Mitchell was angered by this action. Then, captain Suryakumar Yadav came and calmed Mitchell down. The umpire, Richard Illingworth, also spoke to Arshdeep Singh. Overall, after the over, Arshdeep apologised to Mitchell, and both of them were seen shaking hands and hugging each other.
There was no need for a formal hearing after Arshdeep Singh accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
Notably, a Level 1 breach under the ICC Code of Conduct carries a minimum punishment of an official reprimand and a maximum fine of 50% of a player's match fee, along with one or two demerit points. If a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points, which can lead to a ban.
Coming to the India vs New Zealand final, Suryakumar Yadav & side defeated Mitchell Santner & co. by 96 runs to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. With this historical victory, India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).
Arshdeep Singh played a crucial role in India’s title victory campaign. He took 9 wickets in 8 matches, at an economy rate of 8.46. His best performance came against Zimbabwe at Chennai, when he took 3 wickets. However, in the finals, he went wicketless.
