Former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh reckons that Punjab Kings didn’t utilize young Arshdeep Singh effectively during the just-concluded IPL. However, Singh believes that the left-arm pacer can be highly effective during the death overs at the T20 World Cup, alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
The left-arm seamer managed to secure 19 wickets from 14 games, but his economy rate of 10.03 was primarily affected by the onslaught from ‘impact players,’ leaving him somewhat dazed.
RP Singh, who was India’s bowling hero in the 2007 edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa, stated that he would choose Arshdeep over Mohammed Siraj.
During a promotional event where the Indian team’s jersey was unveiled for the inaugural World Championship of Legends, RP Singh expressed his opinion on Arshdeep’s IPL performance, stating that he believes the young player hasn’t been utilized well.
The utilization of the bowlers also depends on their captain, including the conditions in which he deploys them, the situations in which he assigns them to bowl, and his assessment of their capabilities, he added.
RP Singh believes that the wicket at Nassau County will be on the slower side. He suggests that Arshdeep should focus on bowling cutters instead of pacey length deliveries.
He mentioned that when considering the length on the tracks in the USA during an early morning start, there should be some slowness in the wicket. Consequently, the ideal length would be just short of a good length.
“There will be not a lot of swing for the bowlers but the bowlers with variations, not only just yorkers but also slower ones, leg and off cutters. These deliveries will be utilised a bit more by Arshdeep, so the success rate will be automatically higher for him and that’s what I understand the wickets in the US.”, he mentioned.
RP suggests that it would be ideal for Jasprit Bumrah to bowl three overs in the final ten overs, as this would exert pressure on the opposition’s batting unit.
RP emphasized the significance of death bowling in T20 cricket, highlighting Bumrah’s role as a mainstay in this aspect with the potential to bowl three overs during the death.
RP Singh’s reference for Arshdeep over Siraj in death overs
He expresses a preference for Arshdeep over Siraj as Bumrah’s partner in the death overs due to Arshdeep’s variations. RP suggests that Siraj can make a significant impact when bowling with the new ball, but otherwise, it should be Bumrah and Arshdeep handling the death overs.
Arshdeep, being a left-armer, consistently creates challenging angles for right-handers, making him a crucial component in the team’s strategy. Additionally, the World T20 reserves include another left-armer, Khaleel Ahmed.
“Left arm pacers are always an advantage especially against right-handed batters. It is not like two or more left-arm seamers can’t play together. Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and I have played in multiple games together,” Singh said.