"My mom and sister fight with me when there's a WPL match and a men's match happening" - Arshdeep Singh on the growing popularity of the women's game
Team India pacer Arshdeep Singh has thrown his weight behind the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL), saying that the competition is crucial to the growth of the game in the country.
The business end of WPL 2023 is upon us, with the Eliminator and the Final set to be held in Mumbai later this week. The Mumbai Indians (MI), the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the UP Warriorz (UPW) are the three teams to have qualified for the knockout phase of the tournament.
Arshdeep, meanwhile, will be seen in action during the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer has returned 28 wickets over the last two seasons and had a superb economy rate of 7.7 last year.
During a media interaction organized by Parimatch Sports, Arshdeep Singh was asked about his thoughts on the WPL, which has captured the attention of cricket fans all over the country. The 24-year-old used the example of his own home to illustrate how the tournament has taken flight.
"It's very exciting to watch. My mom and sister fight with me when there's a WPL match and a men's match happening at the same time. No offense to the female audience, but people are now watching the WPL instead of serials. That's a great thing because there's been a lot of growth in the women's game and people come to watch matches live. It's a great step."
"I've played a lot of white-ball cricket lately and want to develop my skills with the red ball too" - Arshdeep Singh looking forward to Kent spell
Arshdeep Singh made his international debut for Team India in a T20I against England at the Rose Bowl in Southampton back in July 2022. Almost exactly a year later, the left-armer will return to England, this time to play for Kent in five County Championship games.
There's a lot of cricket on the calendar right now and the workload of players, particularly fast bowlers, needs to be managed diligently. Arshdeep insisted that his County stint will only make him a better cricketer overall.
"There's not much pressure. I want the opportunity to test out my game in new conditions with a new team. I've played a lot of white-ball cricket lately and want to develop my skills with the red ball too. I will learn a lot and understand my game better, and my results in general will improve. I want to play all formats at all levels and do my best for all the teams I play for."
Arshdeep is relatively inexperienced at the first-class level, having played only seven matches to date. The swing bowler has scalped 25 wickets in the format at an average of 23.84 and certainly has what it takes to succeed at Kent.