India’s Arshdeep Singh and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell engaged in a heated moment during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which was played in Ahmedabad on March 8.

The incident unfolded in the 11th over of Kiwi innings, when Arshdeep threw the ball back at Mitchell in his follow-through and then walked back without apologizing. India skipper Suryakumar Yadav had to calm the Black Caps batter down, while the on-field umpire warned the left-arm quick.

Arshdeep apologized at the conclusion of the over, but after the game, he issued a more genuine apology to Mitchell.

In an exclusive podcast interview with PTI, Suryakumar provided a sneak peek into the incident, revealing that he personally said sorry to Mitchell.

"Heat of the moment mein kabhi kabhi ho jaata hai (It happens in the heat of the moment sometimes). At that time you don't fully understand what is happening. But later, I told paaji, that this is not how it happens. He then spoke to Mitchell and it was a light moment," Surya said.

"He took it in his stride. But it was very important for me to go and tell Daryl Mitchell myself, because as a leader, what example you set on the ground, that is also very important.

"So I went and told him (Mitchell) the same thing, if Arshdeep did it deliberately, then I am sorry. And even if he did not do it deliberately, I am sorry," he added.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council fined Arshdeep Singh 15% of his match fee and handed a demerit point after he violated the rule of conduct.

However, India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended Arshdeep’s actions against Mitchell, stating that such moments are part of competitive sport and that players representing their country are bound to show intensity on the field.

“That is ok. You are representing your country. You are bound to show aggression. If you throw back, what is wrong with that? No bowler likes getting hit for two sixes. And that is the kind of response I want to see from my players. There is nothing wrong. Even if he hadn’t said sorry, I was absolutely fine with it. He doesn’t need to say sorry,” Gambhir told ANI.

“Yes, it’s good on him that he apologized, but on the cricket field, there are no friends or enemies. Your job is to represent your country and win for your country. These things used to happen earlier, too. But in the era of social media, things escalate, for which, I think, there’s no need,” he added.