Overview
- A viral IPL 2026 clip showed Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh calling Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma “Oye Andhere, sunscreen lagaaya?” which drew wide attention online.
- Prabhsimran Singh publicly defended Arshdeep as friendly banter and urged outsiders to leave the matter to the players in interviews published on June 16.
- The remark provoked heavy criticism on social and mainstream media and prompted former player Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to call for a BCCI ban, according to reports.
- Multiple outlets reported that the BCCI has tightened rules on players' personal social media posts and that teams were told the restrictions through managers, but those reports remain limited in sourcing.
- The episode has revived scrutiny of players' off-field clips involving Arshdeep and raised questions about how teams and the board monitor social media and handle allegations of casual racism.