Punjab Kings Break Silence On Arshdeep Singh Social Media Controversy

Punjab Kings Breaks Silence On Arshdeep Singh [Source: AP]

Arshdeep Singh has become a headache for the Punjab Kings due to his social media activities, which often land him in trouble. After a raging backlash, the franchise finally had to break its silence and address the matter.

The whole issue began when Arshdeep posted a Snapchat story featuring Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma ahead of the PBKS vs MI clash. He called Tilak “andhera,” thus taking a dig at the latter’s skin complexion.

This triggered a social media uproar with fans accusing Arshdeep Singh of racism.

PBKS reacts to Arshdeep Singh’s Snapchat mess

Amid a huge uproar, Punjab Kings’ head of sports science, Andrew Leipus, attended a press conference where he defended Arshdeep Singh and tried to calm the narrative publicly.

“I don't follow a lot of social media myself, so I know there's been a bit of chatter behind the scenes of various things going on, vlogging and whatnot. I'm not across that. In terms of his behaviour, Arsh is pretty much a flat line. He's not up or down,” Leipus said.

Leipus said Arshdeep’s dressing-room behaviour has remained normal as he is calm, energetic and positive around teammates. He added that the pacer has not shown signs of emotional instability despite the trolling online.

“He gives his best out there. We've been working together a little bit, and looking at his body, there may be restrictions that could be a reason for some of his performances being up and down. We think we've hit on a bit of a winner there,” he added.

Also Read - Punjab Kings To Hold Urgent Team Meeting For Arshdeep Singh; Major Action Incoming

Andrew Leipus hints at fitness concerns around Arshdeep

Interestingly, PBKS’ physio Andrew Leipus revealed that Arshdeep Singh has been dealing with some physical restrictions during the IPL 2026 season, which may partly explain inconsistent bowling performances.

“He's been feeling a lot better in the last couple of weeks, physically. Overall, he's pretty consistent with his behaviour and his attitude. He's a very loud person in the dressing room. That hasn't changed. He's not up and down. He's very calm.” 

This could mean that Arshdeep Singh was playing while carrying a niggle all this time. However, Leipus didn’t specify any injury. But overall, Arshdeep has managed to make headlines a lot of times this season, but only for negative reasons.

PBKS fall to a new low in IPL 2026

Amidst this, the Punjab Kings aren’t doing well either in the IPL 2026 season. After a strong start, they lost five back-to-back games, thus hindering their playoff odds. 

With two games to play, PBKS stand at 13 points, meaning they have to win the remaining contests anyhow to stand a chance. Moreover, their next game is against RCB, the current table toppers and defending champions at Dharamsala.

But since the Punjab Kings have lost both their previous fixtures at Dharamsala, they already stand on the back foot ahead of the do-or-die game.

Also Read - KKR Vs GT Toss Update: Varun Chakaravarthy Returns As Shubman Gill Wins The Crucial Toss