Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) fast-bowling star Arshdeep Singh has opened about his bowling plans in the last-ball decider after guiding his team to a thrilling four-run win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their opening game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in Mumbai on Monday (April 12).
The IPL 2021 match between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) was one hell of a thriller at the Wankhede Stadium with both teams fought hard in a high-scoring affair, but the PBKS eventually won the last-ball decider by 4 runs, thanks to Arshdeep who returned with figures of 3/35 on Monday.
The 22-year-old, who is only playing his third season and having already bowled some match-winning spells for PBKS, revealed that his main motive was to “bowl wide yorkers” to the rampaging Sanju Samson and he was glad that the plan worked against the RR captain on Monday.
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Samson's fighting 119 went in vain as Arshdeep held his nerves in the final over and brilliantly defended 13 runs in the last over while conceding eight runs off 6 balls as RR fell short of a mere 4 runs while chasing mammoth 222 runs against PBKS at the Wankhede Stadium.
He described his emotions after the match, Arshdeep – whose figures read 0, 1, 1, 6, 0, and Samson's wicket in the last over, revealed that his heart was beating fast before bowling the final over against RR.
Arshdeep said at the post-match press conference, “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.”
On how he prepares himself for bowling in high-pressure situations on Monday, the Punjab pacer said: “I just back myself the way support staff or the bowling coach said to back myself and try to keep the things simple and back the plan which has been devised after speaking to the captain and if you have to bluff, bluff the batsmen and not the captain.”
About his plans to bowl at Samson in the final over, Arshdeep explained, “The field was set and the plan was to feed them wide (balls), had to try and bowl wide yorkers and if we could execute all the six balls, then it will be difficult for him.
The main thing was to back the execution and bowl as per the plan. 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.”
When asked how hard it was to bowl with dew around, the Guna-born speedster said there was not much dew at the Wankhede Stadium during the IPL 14 clash between PBKS and RR on Monday.
The pacer further noted, “I guess every team now practices bowling at the depth with the dew, everyone knows that there will be some dew, but I don't think that there was that much of dew tonight and yes every team practices because you prepare for everything.”
He signed off by saying that “the wicket was pretty good and they batted really well and I guess IPL is such a big stage and such a good league, you cannot write off any team.”
(With PTI Inputs)
