"No Indian bowler has taken more T20I wickets than him in the last 2 years" - Aakash Chopra lauds Arshdeep Singh's spell in IND vs BAN 2024 1st T20I
Aakash Chopra has lauded Arshdeep Singh for bowling a potent spell in the first T20I between India and Bangladesh in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6. He pointed out that the left-arm seamer has been India's most successful T20I bowler in the last couple of years.
Arshdeep registered figures of 3/14 in 3.5 overs as India bowled Bangladesh out for 127 after asking them to bat first. The Men in Blue chased the target down with seven wickets and 8.1 overs to spare to make a winning start in the three-match series.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Arshdeep for continuing his wicket-taking spree in the first T20I against Bangladesh.
"Arshdeep Singh needs to be spoken about because of the way he bowls. He came with the new ball and picked up a wicket in the first over and then another wicket in the second over. He came in the end and bowled yorkers. In fact, no Indian bowler has taken more T20I wickets than him in the last two years," he said (4:50).
The former India opener highlighted the Punjab seamer's ability to snare wickets.
"He is excellent and picks up wickets at a good economy. It's not that he proves very expensive. He did get hit for a four with the new ball but you should see his wicket-taking ability, skill level and understanding," Chopra observed.
Arshdeep has picked up 86 wickets at an economy rate of 8.28 in 55 T20Is. He has accounted for 53 dismissals in 34 games since the beginning of 2023.
"You cannot line him up" - Aakash Chopra on Arshdeep Singh
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that batters can't target Arshdeep Singh easily.
"There are two things. One is to bowl well, which many bowlers do, they won't reach here if they don't do that, but the understanding to pick up wickets is another. You cannot line him up. If you have hit a shot and you think he will bowl there only, he won't bowl there," he said (5:20).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Punjab Kings seamer has multiple weapons in his arsenal.
"He bowls bouncers in the middle and slower ones with the new ball. He bowls slightly wide lines and pitches it up to get it to swing as well. Let's be honest, Litton Das' shot was slightly ordinary, but then he dismissed the other opener, and bowled a yorker at the end. He was economical and picked up three wickets as well," Chopra elaborated.
Arshdeep had Litton Das caught by Rinku Singh in the first over before getting Parvez Hossain Emon to inside edge a ball onto his stumps in his second over. He castled Mustafizur Rahman in the final over of Bangladesh's innings to complete his three-wicket haul.