Punjab Kings moved quickly on Monday to address questions about the fitness of their leading left-arm pace option, Arshdeep Singh, stressing that he is “completely fit” and has been working with the squad in the lead-up to an important stretch of IPL 2026. The franchise pushed back against fresh buzz about his availability, maintaining that Arshdeep—also their top wicket-taker this season—remains a key part of their plans. “In contrast to what has been reported, we’d like to confirm that our premier fast bowler and highest wicket-taker, Arshdeep Singh, is fully fit and has been actively training with the squad. The team management is very happy with the progress he has made, and he is raring to go as we head into a crucial match of the competition,” the side said in a statement on Monday. “His energy, rhythm, and commitment in the nets have been extremely positive, and we’re confident he will continue to play an important role for Punjab Kings going ahead as well.”
Arshdeep’s situation has drawn attention because he has not looked at his usual sharpness, coming just a couple of months after India’s consecutive Men’s T20 World Cup triumphs. With him also appearing unusually costly at times, there has been a sense that it has contributed to Punjab Kings’ noticeable slump, undoing some of the momentum they had built around the middle stages of the tournament.
Adding another layer of scrutiny, Arshdeep has also faced criticism for not landing his yorkers and bouncers with the same impact as before. On top of the on-field discussion, he has been at the centre of social media controversies as well—ranging from a Snapchat clip in which he reportedly called Tilak Varma “andhera” to reports that he was seen with his alleged girlfriend, Samreen Kaur.
From a team perspective, Punjab Kings’ campaign has taken a steep tumble over the past three weeks. Their hopes of reaching the playoffs received yet another setback when they were beaten by 23 runs by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamshala.
With only one remaining fixture against Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings can still reach a maximum of 15 points, but their pathway into the top four now depends heavily on results going their way in other matches.
