Punjab Kings\u2019 left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh has become the subject of intense debate as his franchise battles through IPL 2026. The controversy began after a clip circulated online showing Arshdeep allegedly using a disparaging remark for Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma, calling him \u201cAndhere\u201d (meaning \u201cdark one\u201d). The footage quickly spread across social media, triggering criticism from supporters and former players alike, including Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who urged the BCCI to look into the matter.<\/p>\n
With the uproar still unfolding, Arshdeep drew another wave of attention when he fired back sharply at a fan on social media. The supporter had asked him to drop \u201cPunjab\u201d from the name of his team. Arshdeep\u2019s response, shared and discussed widely, further fuelled the online storm around him.<\/p>\n
Ahead of Punjab Kings\u2019 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, PBKS head of sports science Andrew Leipus stepped in to address the growing noise surrounding Arshdeep. Leipus also discussed what he believes lies behind the pacer\u2019s uneven output this season, while noting that modern cricketers often stay highly connected to phones and social media.<\/p>\n
Leipus said the franchise staff have been monitoring Arshdeep\u2019s physical condition and working to identify any limitations that could affect his performance. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working together a little bit and looking at his body if there\u2019s any restrictions in his body that might be a reason for some of his performances being up and down. We think we\u2019ve hit on a bit of a winner there. He\u2019s been feeling a lot better in the last couple of weeks, physically,\u201d Leipus said.<\/p>\n
He then added that the issue may not be limited to fitness and suggested that constant phone usage can become disruptive when players are not in the structured environment of a team setup. \u201cOne of the best things the ICC ever did was take phones away. When you\u2019re in that team environment, it\u2019s not an issue. It\u2019s outside that when it becomes an issue. I\u2019ve heard rumours. I think potentially it is something that needs to be addressed,\u201d Leipus added.<\/p>\n
Arshdeep has so far played 12 matches, taking 13 wickets while keeping an economy rate of 9.70. Once known for his reliability in the closing overs, the left-arm pacer appears to be struggling to maintain his usual rhythm in this campaign.<\/p>\n
Leipus also argued that phone habits among younger players can be a contributing factor to the broader problem. \u201cI\u2019m old. I don\u2019t really partake in a lot of social media. You can check my name out there. I\u2019m probably the wrong person to be asking. You look across every team, you\u2019ll see guys sitting there on their phones in the buses. There\u2019s not a lot of chatter going on. It is a problem, I think. I\u2019ve got young kids. I\u2019m trying to steer them away from it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Punjab Kings\u2019 left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh has become the subject of intense debate as his franchise battles through IPL 2026. The controversy began after a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: PBKS Respond as Arshdeep Singh Faces Backlash","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"PBKS counters online backlash over Arshdeep Singh\u2019s IPL 2026 controversy, as fans demand answers and PBKS address the viral \u201cAndhere\u201d clip.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n