5 times Arshdeep Singh proved his death bowling skills in IPL
Arshdeep Singh proved his mettle as a death-overs specialist yet again as the Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 13 runs in match 31 of IPL 2023 on Saturday, April 22.
All five previous matches prior to this game at the Wankede Stadium were won by teams chasing, hence the Kings needed to post a big first-innings total. However, they were reeling at 105/4 after 14 overs.
At this point, stand-in PBKS skipper Sam Curran (55 runs off 29 balls) notched a fine half-century and was well supported by Harpreet Singh Bhatia (41 runs off 28 balls). Jitesh Sharma (25 runs off 7 balls), who has been extremely impressive this season, also pitched-in with an important cameo to help PBKS post a daunting total of 214/8.
In response, MI were never out of the game thanks to captain Rohit Sharma and star foreign recruit Cameron Green, who laid the groundwork for their middle order. MI appeared to be in control of the chase until Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed in the 18th over after making a magnificent half-century.
However, Yadav's dismissal set the stage for PBKS to win by a substantial margin of 13 runs, thanks to an outstanding final over from Arshdeep Singh.
On that note, let's take a look at instances when Arshdeep Singh impressed with his death bowling in the IPL.
5 times Arshdeep Singh proved his death bowling skills in IPL
#1 PBKS vs CSK, IPL 2022
Chasing 188, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were well and truly in the game with 47 runs needed off the final four overs. Ambati Rayudu (78 runs off 39 balls) was absolutely smashing the bowlers with Ravindra Jadeja in the middle and MS Dhoni was yet to bat.
In such a scenario, most experts would back CSK to chase down the target, but Arshdeep Singh had different plans. The youngster, who returned figures of 1/23, gave away just six and eight runs in the 17th and 19th overs respectively to propel his side to an 11-run win.
#2 PBKS vs RR, IPL 2021
Chasing 222, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed just 13 runs off the final over with centurion Sanju Samson still at the crease. Arshdeep Singh, who was handed the final over, nailed the yorkers, conceding just eight runs. This performance came in a game in which both teams scored more than 200 runs. With five runs needed off the last ball, Singh dismissed Samson, handing his team a four-run win.
#3 PBKS vs RR, IPL 2021
In the reverse fixture of the same season, the Royals managed to avenge their defeat through an excellent final over by Kartik Tyagi, who defended just four runs against the likes of Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Marakaram.
However, Arshdeep Singh too had an excellent game as he picked up a fifer, conceding just 32 runs in his four overs. His scalps included the likes of Evin Lewis and Liam Livingstone. Singh's expertise at the death and his ability to break partnerships meant that RR were eventually bowled out for 185 when they looked set to easily score more than 200 runs in the first innings.
#4 PBKS vs MI, IPL 2023
MI needed 40 runs off three overs with Suryakumar Yadav and Tim David in full flow on a flat wicket at the Wankhede Stadium. In such a scenario, PBKS stand-in captain Sam Curran trusted Arshdeep Singh with the responsibility of bowling the 18th and 20th overs.
In the 18th over, Singh conceded just eight runs and dismissed the well-set Suryakumar Yadav. However, Singh saved his best for the final over, defending 16 runs against the in-form pair of Tim David and Tilak Varma. The pacer gave away just two runs and broke the middle stump with successive deliveries, dismissing Varma and Nehal Wadhera.
#5 PBKS vs MI, IPL 2022
With 33 runs needed off three overs and Suryakumar Yadav in full flow, it would seem that it was MI's game to win. Once again, Arshdeep Singh was given the responsibility to contain the hosts and the pacer conceded just five runs in the 18th over.
Out of six balls in the over, he bowled five yorkers as he proved yet again why he is one of the best death bowlers in the Indian team. Punjab went on to defeat MI by 12 runs.
With that, we conclude our piece on five instances when Arshdeep Singh showed his death bowling skills. Can you think of any other such instances? Let us know in the comments section below.