When skipper KL Rahul asked him to defend 13 runs in the last over, the left-arm pacer didn’t lose his composure and stuck to his basics, which ultimately gave the Punjab team a thrilling four-run win off the last ball.
Arshdeep Singh (c) with KL Rahul (r). Picture/ AFP
It was so close, yet so far for Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson during their electrifying IPL encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
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And the man who stood between Samson and his team’s fortune was PBKS young pacer Arshdeep Singh.
Arshdeep, 22, who has only three season’s IPL experience under his belt in which he has taken 15 wickets in 12 matches, on Monday did the most difficult task to beat the most dangerous batsman Samson.
When skipper KL Rahul asked him to defend 13 runs in the last over, the left-arm pacer didn’t lose his composure and stuck to his basics, which ultimately gave the Punjab team a thrilling four-run win off the last ball. RR were chasing Punjab’s 221-6 and Samson along with Chris Morris (2 not out) were at the crease during the last over.
“I did not prepare especially for this [death over bowling], just backed myself as support staff and bowling coach [Damien Wright] said, ‘Keep things simple and back yourself and stick to the plan as per the captain’s suggestion’. I just did that,” Arshdeep said at the post-match virtual press conference on Monday night.
Arshdeep (3-35) conceded only eight runs in the last six balls of the game and also had the prize wicket which ended Samson’s magnificent 63-ball 119 run knock, which was laced with 12 fours and seven sixes. Samson got out while trying to clear deep cover where Deepak Hooda, who earlier scored 64 in just 28 balls, took a good catch.
When asked what the mindset was while bowling the last over, he said: “The plan was to bowl wide to the batsman, try as many wide yorkers and if we try to execute all six balls properly then it will be difficult for them to get under the ball. The main thing was to back the execution and the plans we had.”
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