The International Cricket Council on Tuesday penalised Arshdeep Singh for throwing the ball toward Daryl Mitchell during the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The incident happened at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

The ICC deducted 15 percent of Arshdeep’s match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Officials also added one demerit point to his disciplinary record. This was his first offence in the last 24 months.

Breach of ICC Code of Conduct

According to the ICC rulebook, Arshdeep violated Article 2.9 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

The rule deals with throwing a ball or cricket equipment toward a player in an inappropriate or dangerous way during an international match.

The charge was filed by the match officials, including on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf. Third umpire Allahuddien Paleker and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock also supported the complaint.

Match referee Andy Pycroft proposed the sanction. Arshdeep accepted the penalty immediately. Therefore, officials did not conduct a formal hearing.

Level 1 offences usually carry penalties ranging from an official warning to 50 percent of the match fee, along with one or two demerit points.

Heated Moment During New Zealand’s Innings

The incident took place in the 11th over of New Zealand national cricket team’s innings. Mitchell played the ball toward Arshdeep during the over. The Indian bowler quickly threw it back, and the ball struck the batter on the legs.

The moment briefly raised tensions on the field. Mitchell walked toward Arshdeep and exchanged a few words with him. India captain Suryakumar Yadav stepped in to calm the situation.

Later, Arshdeep clarified the matter and spoke with Mitchell once the over ended. The two players also had another short conversation after the match.

Arshdeep Says It Was Not Intentional

After India won the final, Arshdeep explained the incident during a broadcast interview with Harsha Bhogle. He said he did not intend to hit Mitchell and described the moment humorously. “My throw reverse-swung a bit too much, and it hit his body, so I told him that I didn’t hit him intentionally,” he said.

India Clinch Historic T20 World Cup Title

The India national cricket team eventually dominated the match and defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win the tournament.

The victory marked India’s third T20 World Cup title. The team also became the first side to successfully defend the trophy and lifted the title on home soil.

India produced a powerful batting performance after being asked to bat first. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan each scored half-centuries to guide the team to 255/5 in 20 overs. Later, India’s bowling attack dominated the chase. Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets, helping dismiss New Zealand for 159 runs.