Arshdeep Singh was PBKS’s best bowler as he took 3 wickets conceding 35 runs, including that of RR captain Sanju Samson, to tilt the match in Punjab Kings’ favour at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
Arshdeep Singh is only in his third year in the extravagant Indian Premier League but the 22-year-old has already bowled some match-winning spells for Punjab Kings and he did it again on Monday night in their 4-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring humdinger in Mumbai.
Arshdeep Singh Takes 3/35 And Defends 13 Runs In Final Over As Rajasthan Loses Despite Sanju Samson’s Ton
Sanju Samson’s 119 went in vain as RR failed to chase down the stiff target of 222 in 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium. Sanju Samson took the match to the very end but still ended up on the losing side despite setting the record for the highest score by a player on captaincy debut.
PBKS had the worst record among all teams in the death overs in IPL 2020 and they struggled once again in this game as RR needed 48 off the final 4 with Sanju Samson on the song. It was only Arshdeep Singh who kept his nerves even as the rest of the bowlers got a real hammering at the hands of the RR skipper. Apart from Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh, the other bowlers conceded more than 10 runs per over.
Sanju Samson brought up his 3rd IPL hundred off 54 balls and kept getting the big shots with success despite losing partners at the other end. With 13 runs needed from the final over, skipper KL Rahul handed the ball over to Arshdeep Singh, who managed to concede 0, 1, 1, 6, 0 runs in his first 5 balls before picking Sanju Samson’s wicket off the final ball to win the match for Punjab.
Arshdeep Singh: Heart Was Beating Fast In The Last Over
Arshdeep Singh described his emotions after the match was over, revealing how fast his heart was beating before bowling the final over.
“Now it is beating pretty good. Before the last over, it was beating pretty fast. The plan was simple and it was to execute six balls wide outside off. I tried to york him.
“The only thing he could get was a four. But he got under one of those. But still the plan was to execute the same. The staff and the captain have been very supportive. They were telling me in the practice game, what role I need to play. That really helps the confidence.”
“The form was really good in the 20 over tournament (Syed Mushtaq Ali). The ball was coming out nicely. We have a knack of playing close games. Good to get those two points,” Arshdeep said on Star Sports.
Arshdeep Singh had picked 3 wickets in his debut season in 2019. Arshdeep Singh played 8 games for the Punjab Kings in the 2020 season, scalping 9 wickets and will continue to be a part of the PBKS set up for the 2021 season.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) overcame a spirited Rajasthan Royals (RR) challenge, led by a sensational Sanju Samson, and emerged victorious in a high-scoring thriller in Match 4 of the IPL 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. PBKS skipper KL Rahul led from the front, with a defining knock of 91 before Arshdeep Singh defended 13 runs in the last over, helping the side seal a 4-run win.
Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 221/6 (KL Rahul 91, Deepak Hooda 64, Chetan Sakariya 3/31) beat Rajasthan Royals 217/7 (Sanju Samson 119, Riyan Parag 25, Arshdeep Singh 3/35) by 4 runs