The left-arm India pacer Arshdeep Singh had an excellent outing during the final of the recently concluded Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, against South Africa at the Kensington Oval, in Bridgetown, Barbados, where the blue bridge earned a narrow seven-run win to end their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.
He came into the final of the tournament, on the back of excellent form in this event, where he displayed his skills of swinging the deliveries in both ways, making it quite tough for the batters to adjust the condition, while his variations made it difficult the for the batters to play the big shots at the death overs.
Arshdeep Singh wasn’t part of India’s ODI World Cup at home last year, and he struggled with the ball for the entire period of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. It was quite surprising that he was taking the wickets, but wasn’t able to stop the run flow.
‘I will cherish forever…’- Arshdeep Singh
The Madhya Pradesh-born has been part of 52 T20I innings for India, where he has managed 79 wickets, to be the fifth-highest wicket-taker of the format for India, at an average of under 20, and a strike rate of below 14, with an economy rate of 8.39.
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Arshdeep Singh went into the ninth edition of the event with 19 wickets in 14 games, at an average of under 27 and an economy of just over 10, with a best bowling figure of 4/29. He was quite clinical in getting success with the new ball during that 20-over competition, but couldn’t get going.
He was asked about picking his favorite game of the tournament. In such cases, most of the Indian players go to the most pressurized games against arch-rivals Pakistan. However, the 25-year-old decided to make an interesting choice for the answer.
‘For cricketers, every match is important, but my favourite has to be the recent World Cup final. Winning the trophy was an unforgettable experience.’ Arshdeep Singh noted during an interview with IANS. ‘The atmosphere, the intensity, and the sheer joy of lifting the cup with my teammates made it incredibly special. It is a moment I’ll cherish forever, knowing we made our country proud on such a grand stage.’
The Punjab bowler showed his maturity throughout the tournament, especially during the final, when India needed to defend 30 runs at run-a-ball with six wickets left, where all the bowlers needed to come up with better planning.
He ended with figures of 2/20 in his four overs, which was a phenomenal performance with the ball in hand. He has been impressed with the way Rohit Sharma, the former Indian T20I captain, led the team in that pressurized situation, especially towards the back end of the game.
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‘What I like the most about his leadership is his calm demeanor on the field. He always backs his players, giving us the confidence to play our natural game.’ Arshdeep Singh observed. ‘His strategic thinking and the way he read the game are truly inspiring, and I have learned a lot from him about handling different match scenarios.’
As India decided to give rest to their senior members of the side after a hectic T20 World Cup, Arshdeep Singh wasn’t part of the T20I team in Zimbabwe. However, he is expected to feature in the first of the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka, starting from July 27.