T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Papa Gaali Dete The’ — Arshdeep Singh Recalls Father’s Explosive Reactions During SA vs WI Super 8 Clash

After losing to South Africa in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, India found themselves in a tight spot. The defending champions needed to win their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies. But that wasn’t all — they also needed South Africa to beat the West Indies to avoid a complicated net run rate scenario.

The first part of that equation was settled in Ahmedabad, where South Africa defeated the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It wasn’t a straightforward game, though. The Windies were struggling at 90/7 at one stage but fought back strongly to make it competitive. For Indian fans, it was a tense watch. Among those closely following the game was India pacer Arshdeep Singh’s father, Darshan Singh. Speaking after India’s win over Zimbabwe in Chennai, Arshdeep revealed that his father was fully invested in the South Africa vs West Indies clash.

“We didn’t watch the whole match, but it was a proper see-saw game,” Arshdeep said. “My family was with me in the hotel room, and every time a West Indies batter hit a four or a six, my father would shout in frustration.” He added with a smile that his father was so worked up that he had to calm him down. “He was hurling abuse. I told him to relax, enjoy the cricket and keep praying for a South African win.”

South Africa’s victory turned out to be crucial. With India later beating Zimbabwe by 72 runs — after posting a massive 256/4 and restricting Zimbabwe to 184/6 — the qualification scenario became much clearer. Arshdeep played his part with three wickets in the match. South Africa has now secured their place in the semi-finals from Group 1 and remains unbeaten in the tournament. For India, the equation is simple. It all comes down to Sunday’s clash against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The winner of that match will book a place in the last four. After a week full of twists and tension, it’s now a straight shootout.

Arshdeep Singh has now become India’s highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history. The left-arm pacer went past Jasprit Bumrah, who previously held the record with 33 wickets. Arshdeep has taken 35 wickets in just 19 T20 World Cup matches so far. What makes this even more impressive is his average of 14.25, which shows how effective he has been with the ball. He has also picked up a four-wicket haul in the tournament, underlining his ability to deliver match-winning spells.

One of his best performances came in the 2024 edition, where he claimed 17 wickets — the most by an Indian bowler in a single T20 World Cup. His consistency and calmness under pressure have made him a key player for India in ICC events. At a young age, Arshdeep has already created history and continues to grow as a dependable bowler on the big stage.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2026: Sikandar Raza Achieves Rare Double, Becomes First Full-Member Cricketer to Score 3000 Runs And…