"Arshdeep Singh is my favourite left-arm fast bowler from India" - Brett Lee
Former Australian pace bowler Brett Lee lavished praise on India's Arshdeep Singh for his terrific showing at the T20 World Cup in Australia.
On the back of some excellent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL, Arshdeep earned his debut for India during the T20I series against England in July.
Although the youngster impressed with figures of 2/18 from 3.3 overs in Southampton, he had to make way for senior paceman Jasprit Bumrah's return to the team in Birmingham.
Impressed by the talent Arshdeep possesses and the exuberance he brings to his bowling, Brett Lee, who played 322 matches for Australia from 2000 to 2012, gave the 23-year-old a nickname while speaking on his YouTube channel.
Brett Lee said:
"A left-arm fast bowler for India, Arshdeep Singh - the Ace, I will call him because I think it suits him as a bit of a nickname for him but he's definitely got a few aces up his sleeves."
The Punjab pacer played all five matches in the West Indies T20Is in August, where he picked seven wickets at an average of 16.14.
He was drafted into India's Asia Cup squad in UAE, where he endured his toughest moment in a short international career. He dropped Asif Ali and faced public backlash on social media, with some even trolling him relentlessly.
That didn't stop Arshdeep's progress as the youngster backed up his performance in the home bilateral series against South Africa, snapping five wickets in two games at an average of 18.80.
With Jasprit Bumrah missing the T20 World Cup due to a back injury, Arshdeep stepped up to shoulder responsibility in the pace department.
Speaking on how Arshdeep grabbed his golden opportunity at the showpiece event in Australia, Lee said:
"We go back to only a few months ago when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the T20 World Cup. Now everyone thought huge shoes to fill, which is definitely true. I mean, he is a superstar with his world-class Yorkers. He's a through-format bowler. Definitely bowls well in the death."
He further added:
"But in cricket, one man's absence as we know can be another man's opportunity to shine. And this young man Arshdeep Singh, he's playing his first ever World Cup event on the big stage in Australia. He showed what he's made of. He is my favourite left-arm fast bowler from India."
"Pure skill, quietly confident" - Brett Lee on Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep registered figures of 3/32 in India's opening game of the Super 12 stage of T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan at the MCG. His dismissals included Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and lower-order specialist Asif Ali.
He delivered with wickets at a crunch stage against Bangladesh in Adelaide and defended 20 runs in the final over. Using the short ball against wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, Arshdeep managed to pocket a five-run victory for India through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
The left-arm speedster accounted for 10 wickets in six games at 15.60 in India's ordinary T20 WC campaign.
"I like what he's done. Well pure skill, quietly confident, and the belief that he can bowl at the top and also the middle period. But most importantly at death with ease and that's what I like about Ace," Lee mentioned.
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Arshdeep registered his career-best T20I figures (4/37) in India's final T20I against New Zealand in Napier. The left-arm pacer recently made his ODI debut in Auckland on the same tour.