T20 World Cup: Arshdeep Singh Reveals His Father’s Hilarious Reaction During SA vs WI Super 8 Match

Arshdeep Singh shared a hilarious story of his father’s angry reaction during the SA vs WI T20 WC 2026 match. He calmed him as India’s semifinal hopes hinged on the result. India must beat West Indies to reach the semifinals.

Team India pacer Arshdeep Singh revealed his father, Darshan Singh’s, angry yet hilarious reaction during the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash between South Africa and West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, February 26.

The Super 8 clash between South Africa and the West Indies was crucial for Team India, as the result of the match would determine the Men in Blue’s chances of qualifying for the semifinal. Before the match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side received a massive boost as the Proteas’ victory over the Caribbean side strengthened their semifinal qualification prospects.

The Men in Blue further kept their semifinal hopes alive with a crucial 72-run win over Zimbabwe in Chennai, securing a must-win victory that put them back in contention to defend the title, which they won in 2024 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

‘What On Earth Are You?’

Arshdeep Singh’s father was supporting South Africa over the West Indies as he knew how important the Proteas’ win would be for India’s semifinal chances, but his intense reaction during the match left the left-arm pacer amused and bewildered.

Speaking to the reporters after the match against Zimbabwe, Arshdeep revealed that his father, Darshan, was hurling abuses and expressed his anger when West Indies batters hit fours or sixes, joking that he had to calm him down and tell him not to get so worked up.

“We didn’t watch the whole thing, but it was certainly a see-saw affair. My family was with me in the hotel room, and whenever the West Indies batters smashed a six, my father started shouting: ‘What on earth are you doing?’,” the left-arm pacer said.

“He was hurling abuse. I had to settle him down and tell him not to get so worked up. I told him to enjoy the cricket and keep praying for a South African win,” he added.

Arshdeep Singh’s father’s reaction was a reference to the 89-run stand between Romanrio Shepherd (52*) and Jason Holder (49), as West Indies star batters were clearing the ropes against South Africa, forcing his father to curse loudly at the TV every time they hit boundaries, reflecting the intense nerves as India’s semifinal hopes hinged on that result.

How Can Team India Qualify for the Semifinal?

After a victory over Zimbabwe, Team India will face the West Indies in the final and a crucial Super 8 fixture at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, which could decide their semifinal fate in the T20 World Cup 2026.

The Men in Blue will have to defeat the Caribbean side not only to move to second on the Group 1 points table but also to keep their knockout hopes alive, as only the top two teams from Group 1 will advance to the semifinals in the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the defeat would eliminate India from the tournament, ending their hopes of defending the title.

The heavy 76-run defeat to South Africa saw Team India’s net run rate (NRR) plunge to -3.888, but a crucial win over Zimbabwe helped India improve their NRR slightly and stay in contention, making the final Super 8 clash against the West Indies at Eden Gardens a must-win encounter to secure a semifinal spot in the marquee event.

The Men in Blue are currently at the third spot in Group 1 with a win and a defeat, accumulating two points, and have a NRR of -0.100, and must beat West Indies at Eden Gardens to reach the T20 WC 2026 semifinals.