The International Cricket Council has fined Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh 15 percent of his match fee for throwing the ball at New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell during the T20 World Cup final. The incident occurred in the 11th over of New Zealand's innings in Ahmedabad. India secured a historic 96-run victory to claim their third T20 World Cup title.
In the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final on March 8, 2026, in Ahmedabad, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs, becoming the first men's team to win the tournament three times and secure back-to-back titles. During New Zealand's chase, in the 11th over bowled by Arshdeep Singh, the Indian paceman had already conceded two sixes. After fielding the ball, Arshdeep threw it towards the wicket, striking Mitchell on the pads.
Mitchell reacted angrily, advancing towards Arshdeep while gesticulating. The bowler turned and walked back to his mark without apologizing immediately. India captain Suryakumar Yadav intervened to calm the situation, preventing escalation. Match officials, including umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Allahuddien Paleker, and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock, reported the incident to match referee Andy Pycroft.
The ICC charged Arshdeep under Article 2.9 of the Code of Conduct, relating to throwing a ball at or near a player in an inappropriate and dangerous manner during an international match. Classified as a Level 1 breach, Arshdeep accepted the sanction, resulting in a 15 percent fine on his match fee and one demerit point on his record, his first in 24 months. No formal hearing was required.
At the end of the over, Arshdeep apologized to Mitchell, and the two shook hands. Post-match, Arshdeep issued another apology, with video footage circulating online. In the final, Arshdeep finished with figures of 0/32 in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah earned player of the match honors with 4/15, while Axar Patel took 3 wickets, contributing to India's dominant performance.
