India's star pacer Arshdeep Singh has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee following a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand. The left-arm seamer was found in violation of Article 2.9, which prohibits throwing the ball or equipment at or near a player in a dangerous or inappropriate manner. In addition to the financial penalty, one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record; notably, this marks his first offense within the last 24 months.
ICC penalises Arshdeep Singh with hefty fine
The incident took place during the 11th over of the New Zealand's run chase at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After fielding the ball, Arshdeep threw it aggressively toward batter Daryl Mitchell, striking him on the pads. Despite the heat of the moment, the tension appeared to dissipate quickly, as the two players were seen shaking hands at the end of the over.
Arshdeep avoided a formal hearing by admitting to the offense and accepting the sanction proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft. Under ICC regulations, a Level 1 breach can result in a fine of up to 50% of a match fee and a maximum of two demerit points. While this single point doesn't impact his immediate availability, accruing four demerit points within a two-year window leads to a mandatory match ban.
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India's historic T20 World Cup 2026 title
Ultimately, the disciplinary hiccup did little to dampen India's historic night in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue notched a dominant 96-run win over New Zealand to defend the T20 World Cup title. With this India became the first-ever team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup title. It was also India's third ICC trophy on a row. They first won the T20 World Cup 2024 title, then followed it up with Champions Trophy 2025 title and now this T20 World Cup 2026 to complete their treble.