Punjab Kings’ Head of Sports Science, Andrew Leipus downplayed the social media backlash surrounding Arshdeep Singh’s vlogging and the Tilak Varma incident. Leipus admitted he stays away from social media and is unaware of the specific chatter happening behind the scenes
Updated: May 17, 2026 4:46 PM IST
Arshdeep Singh landed himself on hot waters following his comments on Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma’s dark skin complexion and the Punjab Kings bowler has become an overnight target on social media with fans of rival Indian Premier League franchises going after him.
While there were initially no comments made by Punjab or Arshdeep Singh on the matter, the franchise’s head of sports science Andrew Leipus has become the first one to address the whole situation in a recent press conference.
What actually happened that caused this row?
The issue began when a vlog-style video, recorded by Arshdeep Singh for his Snapchat before their match in Dharamshala, went viral on social media. In the clip, Arshdeep jokingly looks at his India teammate Tilak Varma and says, “Oye Andhere, sunscreen lagaaya?” (Hey dark one, did you apply sunscreen?). He then pans the camera to Naman Dhir, calling him the real Noor (light) of Punjab.
The remarks quickly sparked massive backlash online with fans and former cricketers condemning the comments as casual racism rather than harmless banter. Former Indian spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan was among the ones to sharply criticize the left-arm pacer’s behavior. He even made a demand to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to ban Arshdeep entirely from the season.
Although it was Tilak Varma who ironically stole the show with his match winning performance at Dharamshala, the racism row is slowly picking up its pace.
Andrew Leipus defends Arshdeep Singh
Punjab Kings’ Head of Sports Science, Andrew Leipus downplayed the social media backlash surrounding Arshdeep Singh’s vlogging and the Tilak Varma incident. Leipus admitted he stays away from social media and is unaware of the specific chatter happening behind the scenes.
Leipus further emphasized that Arshdeep’s mindset remains perfectly steady and unfazed, describing his behavior as a consistent flat line. He noted that Arshdeep continues to be a calm, loud, and energetic presence in the dressing room who always gives his best. Furthermore, Leipus shared that Arshdeep has been feeling physically much better over the last couple of weeks.
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“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. He gives his best out there. 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.” – Andrew Leipus told the press.
How many wickets has Arshdeep Singh registered this season?
Arshdeep Singh has registered 13 wickets in 12 matches for the Punjab Kings. Though he achieved a historic milestone this year by becoming the first bowler to take 100 wickets for the franchise, he has struggled for consistency, maintaining an economy rate of 9.70.
