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Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer Arshdeep Singh has stated that bowling to class players like KL Rahul and Chris Gayle in the nets has helped him improve his bowling.
Arshdeep Singh claimed seven wickets in six matches in IPL 2021. He also bowled a high-pressure last-over against a rampant Sanju Samson in the game against the Rajasthan Royals. Arshdeep Singh defended 12 runs, having Samson caught off the last ball with a wide yorker.
In an interview with India TV, Arshdeep Singh admitted that bowling to big names in the nets aided him in his preparation for match situations. The left-arm seamer explained:
"We have KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, and Sarfaraz Khan in the nets. Bowling against them in practice sessions helps in analyzing your flaws. When you bowl to such great players, you get an idea about the areas where you're leaking most runs. When you're bowling at such a level, you can't take pressure to get the better of you. Always back your execution and you will get good results.”
PBKS did not have a great run in the first half of IPL 2021, until the tournament was suspended indefinitely. They played eight matches, but won only three. Arshdeep Singh, though, is hopeful the team will do well when the tournament resumes. He asserted:
"Every team thinks of winning the IPL title before the start of the tournament. This year, Punjab did well in both the departments only in 1-2 matches. But we're hoping to win the rest of six games whenever the season resumes."
"I discuss minute things with Shami bhai" - PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh
The 22-year-old is lucky to have the experienced Mohammed Shami to guide him. Arshdeep Singh admitted that he discussed the finer points of pace bowling with the veteran Team India pacer. Arshdeep Singh elaborated:
"I discuss minute things including seam position with Shami Bhai. We also talk about how to respond when you're getting hit by a batsman. Since we all were in a bio-bubble, it becomes a lively atmosphere, just like a family.”
"I consider myself as an attacking bowler. But for this year, I had a chat with skipper KL Rahul and Shami. I also focussed on bowling more dot balls and hence, my economy has also improved along with my wicket tally," he added.
Asked if he has a 'dream wicket' in mind, Arshdeep Singh responded that any key scalp that helps the team’s cause matters a lot to him. He added:
"I haven't planned on taking any dream wicket. Any wicket that I take in crucial moments is my dream wicket. While playing age-group cricket, the plan was to become the leading wicket-taker. It feels good when you plan a wicket. Last year, I had planned on bowling wide yorkers to Andre Russell at death and it worked."
Arshdeep Singh has featured in 17 IPL matches so far and has 19 wickets to his name at a strike rate of 16.78 and an economy rate of 8.97.
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