Indian cricket fans and social media sleuths woke up to a starkly different digital landscape on Monday. Punjab Kings (PBKS) spearhead and Indian national team pacer Arshdeep Singh has effectively scrubbed his Instagram presence, deleting well over 200 posts within a 24-hour window. The sudden overhaul has left his account with a mere 44 posts, a majority of which are rigidly curated brand endorsements, sponsored collaborations, and official team media.
This dramatic digital purge comes at an incredibly volatile junction in the 27-year-old left-arm quick’s career, following a twin-engine storm of severe online backlash and a heartbreaking conclusion to the Punjab Kings’ latest Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.
Arshdeep Singh clears out 200-plus Instagram posts amid social media reset rumours
The catalyst behind Arshdeep’s massive profile cleanup appears rooted in immense scrutiny over his recent online activity. The young bowler found himself at the epicenter of intense public outrage following a pair of viral videos that quickly escaped his control.
The first and most damaging flashpoint originated from a Snapchat video clip. In it, Arshdeep was captured addressing Mumbai Indians‘ middle-order batter Tilak Varma using a highly controversial, racially charged remark. The video spread across X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit like wildfire, prompting severe fan backlash and sharp calls for professional accountability from cricket enthusiasts and analysts alike.
Compounding the problem, a separate video log (vlog) captured by Arshdeep ignited another firestorm. The clip allegedly showed his seasoned Punjab Kings teammate, veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, smoking an e-cigarette or vape in the background. While the Chahal incident drew a mix of amusement and criticism, it collectively amplified the narrative that Arshdeep’s casual social media presence was becoming a liability.
Amid an avalanche of trolling, the pacer dropped his post count from the mid-200s down to the bare essentials. Strikingly, his only recent personal update left standing is a cryptic photo captioned, “Sabar. Shukar. Punjab” (Patience. Gratitude. Punjab)—seemingly a quiet plea for level heads during a turbulent week.
On-field heartbreak completes a turbulent week for Punjab Kings
The off-field drama coincides with a deeply frustrating professional collapse for the Punjab franchise. Under the high-pressure lights of the IPL, Punjab Kings pulled off one of the most exhilarating starts to a season in recent memory, mounting a spectacular eight-match winning streak that had them pegged as locked-in title contenders.
Unfortunately, the team suffered a catastrophic loss of momentum in the final weeks of the group stage, dropping crucial matches and stripping themselves of control over their playoff destiny. The final nail in the coffin arrived when the Rajasthan Royals secured the fourth and final playoff spot. The Royals are now locked in to face the formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27, leaving PBKS to pick up the pieces of what could have been a historic season.
For Arshdeep, scrubbing his Instagram feed clean is more than just standard profile maintenance; it is a tactical retreat from the modern noise of sports culture. In an era where a single careless upload can instantly overshadow years of elite on-field performance, the young speedster is learning the hard way that sometimes the best defense is simply logging off.
