India recently made history by winning the T20 World Cup 2026, but this victory has also been followed by a small controversial incident.
India’s fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
This incident occurred during the final match, played against the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Why did the ICC impose the fine?
According to the ICC, Arshdeep Singh violated Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the match. He has been fined 15 percent of his match fee and a demerit point has been added to his record.
The incident occurred in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings. Arshdeep threw the ball back too quickly after fielding it, which hit batsman Daryl Mitchell’s pad.
According to ICC rules, this is considered a violation of Article 2.9. The ICC said in its statement: “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.”
Match referee Andy Pycroft handed down this sanction to Arshdeep. Fortunately, Arshdeep accepted the decision immediately, so no formal hearing was required.
What is the impact of demerit points?
Four umpires jointly leveled the charge in this case. These included on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Allahuddien Paleker, and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock.
According to ICC rules, a Level 1 breach can result in a player receiving an official warning, a fine of up to 50 percent of their match fee, and one to two demerit points.
If a player accumulates four or more demerit points within 24 months, these points are converted into suspension points. In such a case, the player can be banned from one Test match, two ODIs, or two T20 matches.
Arshdeep Singh currently has only one demerit point on his account, and this is considered his first violation in the last 24 months.
