There might not be many instances where close to 500 runs are scored in a T20I, and yet a bowler goes on to a fifer. Yes, India’s Arshdeep Singh managed to return with figures of 5/51 in his 4 overs, in the 5th encounter between India and New Zealand, in Trivandrum on Saturday. Yes, the bowler did leak runs, but what really helped Suryakumar Yadav’s team was, the wickets kept coming.
Arshdeep Singh India’s best T20I bowler?
Arshdeep accounted for the wickets Rachin Ravindra (30), Daryl Mitchell (26). Mitchell Santner (0), Glenn Phillips and Kyle Jamieson. What was extraordinary is, twice he picked up two wickets in an over, as India won the match by a massive 46 runs. Meanwhile, this happens to be his first ever fifer in the format, that has come after he picked up over 100 wickets.
Just to give a breakdown of how good the bowler has been for India, he now has 118 wickets in only 76 matches, where his average has been 19, and the strike-rate has been 13. On a day when Jasprit Bumrah conceded over 50 runs and did not get a wicket, the left-armer somehow managed to make the difference.
Deserves a place in T20 World Cup XI
What this performance also means is, he has made a statement that he deserves to be in the playing XI for the T20 World Cup ahead of contender Harshit Rana. Yes, the latter offers an additional batting option, but even as a specialist bowler, Arshdeep is quite valuable to the team.
As far as the match is concerned, India first scored a massive 271/5 in 20 overs, with Ishan Kishan scoring a ton, and Suryakumar Yadav getting a fifty. Post that New Zealand could manage 225. And in this way, they sealed the series 4-1.
