Arshdeep Singh

In a format where dot balls and wickets are a bowler’s primary currency, Arshdeep Singh has turned out to be a true banker for Team India’s T20 exploits. A hero of their 2024 T20 World Cup winning campaign, Arshdeep has gone from strength to strength, developing into a weapon that is as capable of playing supporting act to Jasprit Bumrah, who is the leader of the bowling attack.

Quick and accurate from his left-arm angle, Arshdeep’s consistency and nerves of steel during crucial stages of a match are what makes him stand out from the rest of India’s young fast bowling flock. Capable of bowling at over 140 km/h regularly and hitting the yorker length on demand, India couldn’t ask for a better bowling partner for Bumrah while seeing out tight matches.

In the World Cup final against South Africa, Arshdeep was tasked with bowling the always-crucial 19th over, with the dangerous and destructive David Miller at the crease. The over was inch-perfect, as Arshdeep spared no quarter, only allowing South Africa 4 runs and setting up a comfortable final over with enough margin for error.

Arshdeep is no stranger to silverware in a blue Indian shirt. He was part of the unit which won the 2018 U-19 World Cup. While he didn’t get much playing time in that tournament, his value to any team as a quality left-arm pacer meant it didn’t take long for him to become a fixture of Punjab’s domestic team. He made his List A and First Class debuts soon after, and was also recruited by the Punjab Kings for the IPL team ahead of the 2019 season.

He became Punjab’s frontline IPL bowler in the 2020 season, playing 8 matches and finishing with 9 wickets. 2021 provided his true breakthrough, as he scalped 18 wickets at a better strike rate than established national team bowlers such as Bumrah and PBKS teammate Mohammed Shami. In 2022, while his wicket-taking wouldn’t be as prolific, he was tasked with becoming Punjab’s lead bowler after Shami departed, and took responsibility.

By showing consistency on the domestic front and providing a left-arm angle that was a rarity at the highest level of Indian cricket, Arshdeep finally found his chance for the senior national team on the 2022 tour of England, where he played in the T20Is. Arshdeep was even more impressive for India than he had been in the IPL, notably as he bowled his debut over in T20I cricket for a maiden before skittling the England tail.

A man-of-the-series performance in the West Indies completed a greatly successful pair of early assignments, with Arshdeep earning enough confidence to earn a starting spot in the 2022 Asia Cup, and following this, the 2022 T20I World Cup. He played a crucial role in India’s famous win over Pakistan at the MCG, dismissing both Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan in his opening spell.

Arshdeep has worked himself into becoming a premium asset for the Indian national team, and spoke about having his eyes on potentially cracking the red ball setup as well. With his stocks on the rise and still only at 25 years of age, Arshdeep figures to be a cornerstone of the Indian pace attack for years to come as they attempt to continue to translate success into silverware.