Arshdeep Singh has been criticised by users on social media after referring to Tilak Varma with a peculiar slang.
A video of Arshdeep Singh and Tilak Varma has gone viral, with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer coming under intense criticism from a section of social media users. In the viral video, Arshdeep can be heard calling Tilak with the phrase “Oi, andhere” (roughly translates to “Hey, darkness”). The incident took place before PBKS’ IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday. Several users on the internet called out Arshdeep’s language, pointing out the racial connotations attached to the slang.
Arshdeep, who is often seen sharing vlogs, reels, and other content on his social media accounts, wasn’t spared by fans on the internet. While it has to be noted that Tilak and Arshdeep share a camardrie that goes beyong the cricket field, fans weren’t impressed.
Honestly, this is ridiculous. Arshdeep singh is clearly mocking Tilak Varma in this video.
One day this kind of behaviour on social media is going to put him in a really tough spot. Yuzi Chahal is the perfect example of how quickly things can backfire. pic.twitter.com/FxB4EADF4E— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) May 14, 2026
Racism can be whitewashed as mere “mocking” ? Call it what it is ffs#IPL2026 https://t.co/8sNbDn8PjH
— (@Tutterdotcom) May 14, 2026
This is horrible. Openly mocking him on his skin colour. https://t.co/ihQotgn9nT
— Harshit Anand (@imHarshitAnand) May 14, 2026
PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: As it happened
A blistering half-century by Tilak Varma and an attacking knock from Ryan Rickelton powered the Mumbai Indians (MI) to a six-wicket win over the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Dharamsala on Thursday.
The defeat marked Punjab Kings’ fifth straight loss, leaving them stranded on 13 points, with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals closing in on them in the playoff race.
Varma anchored the chase with composure, forging a crucial stand with Will Jacks. He struck a scintillating 75 off 33 balls, while Jacks provided explosive support with 25 off just 10 deliveries.
Chasing 201, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton opened the innings for the Mumbai Indians, while Arshdeep Singh set the tone with a disciplined opening over, conceding just two runs.
Rickelton broke the shackles in the second over, launching a massive six off Azmatullah Omarzai to kickstart the chase. The left-hander continued the assault in the next over, taking on Marco Jansen and plundering 15 runs.
He continued his aggressive approach in the following over, smashing Xavier Bartlett for 12 runs, while Rohit Sharma struggled to find his timing at the other end.
Rohit Sharma finally found the middle of the bat in the final over of the powerplay, launching Xavier Bartlett for a massive six. However, in the following over, Omarzai struck straight away, removing the dangerous Rickelton for 48 off 23 runs, bringing Naman Dhir to the crease.
Dhir’s stay at the crease was short-lived as Marco Jansen got the better of the right-hander for 9, bringing Tilak Varma to the crease. In the following, Yuzvendra Chahal cleaned up struggling Rohit Sharma for 25 off 26, and Sherfane Rutherford joined Varma at the crease.
After 10 overs, the Mumbai Indians reached 89/3, with Tilak Varma and Sherfane Rutherford steadying the innings. Varma and Rutherford smashed Chahal in his final over, slamming him for 20 runs.
