ICC Fines Indian Fast Bowler for Misbehaving During T20 World Cup Final

India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been sanctioned with a 15 percent deduction from his match fee and has received one demerit point after being found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the recent T20 World Cup final.

The incident took place during the high-stakes clash against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where India secured a 96-run victory.

According to the ICC, the offense fell under Article 2.9 of the Code of Conduct, which relates to “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 moment occurred in the 11th over of New Zealand’s chase of a challenging target of 256 runs. After completing his delivery, Arshdeep Singh collected the ball and threw it toward the stumps. The throw inadvertently struck New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell on the pads.

Arshdeep Singh walked back to his mark without immediately apologizing, which prompted Mitchell to approach him in what appeared to be a confrontational manner.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav quickly stepped in to defuse the situation, while on-field umpire Richard Illingworth was also seen speaking briefly with the bowler. Arshdeep Singh later apologized to Mitchell at the end of the over.

Speaking after the match in an interview with Harsha Bhogle, Arshdeep Singh explained that there was no malicious intent behind the throw.

“Just went to apologize to Mitchell,” he said. “My throw reverse-swung and hit him so just wanted to say sorry to him for that. It was not intentional.”

The situation was later resolved, with a video posted on the official BlackCaps Instagram account showing Arshdeep Singh offering another apology. The interaction ended with a handshake between the two players.

The charge was brought by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, along with third umpire Allahuddien Paleker and fourth official Adrian Holdstock.

As this was Arshdeep’s first offense within a 24-month period, the sanction falls within the standard range for Level 1 breaches.

Level 1 offenses under the ICC Code of Conduct carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.

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