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Amid speed rush, Arshdeep Singh reaps rewards for consistency and accuracy

From young to experienced, many are set to play their first T20 World Cup when action gets underway Down Under. Before the first ball is bowled, Firstpost.com brings to you FirstCup – a special series where we chart journeys of T20 World Cup debutants.

Back in 2018, both Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi set the speedometer on fire. The young seamers caught everyone’s attention with consistent speeds over 145kmph at the U-19 World Cup, which India won after beating Australia in the final. The tournament saw the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Nagarkoti and Mavi announce themselves on the big stage and draw the attention of IPL scouts. Heavy bids were expected for the pace duo of Mavi-Nagarkoti and batting mainstays Shaw and Gill.

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Gill went to KKR for Rs 1.8 crore and Shaw was bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) for Rs 1.2 crore. The youngsters were rewarded for their outings in age-group cricket but it was the bidding wars for Nagarkoti and Mavi which got everyone talking. KKR were in the mood to snap these exciting talents and spent Rs 3.20 crores for Nagarkoti and Rs 3 crores for Mavi. It was on the expected lines as Indian cricket was in desperate need for speed during that period.

While the auctions were rewarding for plenty of U-19 players from the World Cup squad, a lanky left-arm seamer went unsold. He didn’t get many chances in the World Cup and played only two of the six matches India U-19 played that year. At such a young age, it was quite natural for any cricketer to feel disheartened but it wasn’t the case for this seamer from Punjab. These were early days but his coach Jaswant Rai, especially after how the next few years unfolded, knew Arshdeep Singh was cut from a different cloth.

“It was clear after the World Cup, where he only played one or two games (two games), that there is no point to go and try hitting speed of 150. Wo to itni jaldi hona nahi tha [it wasn’t going to happen overnight], so we went the other way. Arshdeep worked very hard, wanted to make a name for himself after fewer chances in the World Cup and the focus was completely on enhancing (his) skill set, developing variations and being consistent in hitting the lengths. 140-142 ki speed bhi bahut hoti hai agar sahi jagah dale [140-142 speeds are good if you hit the right spots], toh wohi focus tha,” recalls coach Rai in an exclusive interaction with Firstpost.

After a long time, speedometer readings of Indian seamers were generating a lot of interest – home and away. Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop had termed Mavi and Nagarkoti as the future of Indian cricket. But away from the spotlight, Arshdeep was honing his skills and waiting for the right opportunity to make his presence felt.

In little over a year, the opportunity came his way when Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) got him at the 2019 IPL auction for Rs 20 lakh and the left-armer made his maiden appearance even before turning up for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The impact was immediate. In Game 1 (vs Rajasthan Royals), Arshdeep picked Jos Buttler and returned to scalp Ajinkya Rahane later in the innings. The coach knew there was still work to be done and both returned to the drawing board to be better prepped for the challenges which lay ahead.

“Performing in IPL certainly is a big boost for any young cricketer. Arshdeep was ready to work harder than ever and we focussed a lot on improving the yorker, working on variations, effectively using the bouncers and hitting consistent lengths,” says Rai.

The big call

The next two editions of the IPL saw more game time for Arshdeep and the seamer became KXIP’s go-to man to bowl the difficult overs, especially at death. He had an excellent 2021 season where he bagged 18 wickets in 12 games. Before the big auction ahead of the 2022 edition, where two new teams were set to be added, both Arshdeep and his coach were made to take a tough call. Kings XI Punjab were willing to retain the then uncapped seamer for Rs 4 crores.

“We were honestly very confused during that time. Had he gone to the pool, he could have got a bid of even 7-8 crores as the previous season was very good. But at that time, both me and Arshdeep were looking to ensure maximum game time. Who knows what would have happened in the new team, new setup, how he would have played or used. Since he was part of Punjab for few years, everyone knew him and kind of understood his game. So it was important to ensure maximum game time to get attention for the next step, and that thankfully happened,” says Rai.

Arshdeep didn’t take bucket loads of wickets in IPL 2022 but it was his accuracy, especially in the death overs, which garnered the attention of the national selectors. The seamer was captain Mayank Agarwal’s most trusted bowler, sometimes even ahead of the more experienced Kagiso Rabada.

“It was important to get dressing room and captain’s backing. Bowling difficult overs only improves a cricketer and makes him more mature. The same happened to him at a very young age and he only grew in confidence from there on,” says Rai.

Song of fire and ice

Arshdeep may not be the typical, in-your-face fast bowler, but the youngster is very aggressive in his approach — both in the powerplay overs and at the death. With the new ball, he focuses on the movement. During the death overs, the 23-year-old mixes things up well. The yorkers are accurate, bouncers lethal and slower ones effective. All this is topped up by the ability to remain ice cool in crunch situations.

“It doesn’t happen overnight. When he came to me as a youngster, I only asked him to make cricket his life. Bowling mai aag dikhani hai but dimag thanda rakhna hai. It is important to remain calm in cricket, under pressure. Arshdeep is very aggressive with his approach in bowling but over the last few years, he has mastered the art of remaining calm under pressure. Something which is any captain’s delight.

“With more game time, he has matured, knows how to bowl to fields well, use the dimensions of the fields and conditions. I think his biggest strength is to adapt to conditions and nature of pitches and dimensions of the ground. It’s very important for a fast bowler and he has worked very hard to do that well consistently now,” says Rai.

‘Cup leke aana hai… ‘

India had a forgettable Asia Cup and the tournament didn’t give many happy memories to Arshdeep either. After the defeat against Pakistan, the troll army had their swords out and it was Arshdeep who was on the receiving end of the hatred for his dropped catch. Very few talked about his brilliant over that came right after.

“It was unfortunate but he handled the situation well. He had support of both the team management and the captain. Arshdeep has become a very mature person now and the same can be seen in his bowling too, so he will only grow as an individual and bowler after incidents like these,” says Rai.

Has he put that behind him? “Of course. Only focus is World Cup now. He said, ‘sir Asia Cup mai to Asia ki teams thi, waha accha nahi ho paaya but ab World Cup leke aana hai and waha world teams ke aage accha karna hai’,” says Rai.

After seeing his teammates play a leading role in the U-19 World Cup triumph back in 2018, Arshdeep would certainly hope to do the same at the T20 World Cup starting with the clash against Pakistan on Sunday (23 October). The 23-year-old has reached the big stage and couldn’t have asked for a better setting to stamp his authority.

 



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