India’s historic T20 World Cup victory celebrations came with a small controversy after pacer Arshdeep Singh was penalized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a Code of Conduct breach during the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The ICC confirmed that the left-arm fast bowler has been fined 15% of his match fee after an incident that took place in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings. While completing his follow-through, Arshdeep gathered the ball and threw it back toward the striker’s end where New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell was standing. The throw ended up hitting Mitchell on the pads, briefly creating tension between the two players.
The situation was quickly handled on the field as India captain Suryakumar Yadav stepped in and helped calm both players before things escalated further. After reviewing the incident, match officials ruled that the action breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with throwing a ball at or near a player in a dangerous or inappropriate manner.
Along with the financial penalty, Arshdeep Singh has also received one demerit point on his disciplinary record. Since this is his first offence within the last 24 months, the ICC did not impose any suspension.
Arshdeep accepted the sanction suggested by match referee Andy Pycroft from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing. Following the match, the Indian pacer also apologized to Daryl Mitchell and explained that the ball had unintentionally swung while he threw it back, and it was never his intention to hit the batter.
Despite the brief on-field moment, the match itself ended in celebration for India, who defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to secure their third T20 World Cup title.
