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Arshdeep Singh made his first appearance in county cricket, representing Kent in their match against Surrey. The Indian left-arm seamer bagged four wickets on his debut appearance, making his mark on the side even though it was in a losing cause.
After bursting onto the scene with the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2019, the bowler from Punjab went on to represent India in the white-ball formats, including the T20 World Cup last year.
Arshdeep hasn't had a lot of experience in red-ball cricket, though, having taken 25 wickets at an average of 23.84 and an economy of 2.92 in the seven first-class matches before he joined Kent.
He became the fourth Indian player to represent the county after Kanwar Shumshere Singh, Rahul Dravid, and Navdeep Saini. At only 24, joining the county can be a huge step in Arshdeep's journey to evolve as a bowler.
On that note, we take a look at three ways in which the county stint with Kent can help Arshdeep Singh.
1) Red ball experience
Having played only seven first-class matches in his career, Arshdeep Singh could do with some experience playing in the longest format of the game.
The left-arm seamer has excellent control over his bowling and also has the ability to move the ball both ways.
With his skill set and the kind of qualities he possesses, he has the makings of a promising Test bowler.
With the India A program not being as regular as it used to be, it's important for the Punjab bowler to get as much red ball experience as possible.
2) A different challenge for Arshdeep
Having made his mark in the shortest format of the game in the IPL with the Punjab Kings, Arshdeep caught the eye in white-ball cricket as one of the most skillful bowlers around.
His success came predominantly at the back end of innings, relying on his yorkers and variations to outfox batters.
Red-ball cricket presents a different challenge, though. And while skill and variation are useful allies, the left-arm seamer needs to learn the art of Test bowling.
Hence, the county stint presents him with a different challenge, which will only help him grow as a cricketer.
3) Taking a step forward to establish a possibility of a Test career
Representing your country at the Test level is one of the highest honors any cricketer can imagine.
The format might be dwindling, but its importance among diehard fans of cricket cannot be understated, with every player dreaming of going on to earn their Test cap at some point.
The same is true for him as well. He's shown his ability to swing the white ball like he's got it on a string, and that's something that stands out as a possible feature of his game in Test cricket too.
However, he's got to refine his skills and find some consistency to keep up with the demands of the longest format. The county stint with Kent will help him do exactly that.
