'Want to work on my consistency': Arshdeep Singh after getting the India call-up

Young pace bowler Arshdeep Singh has so far played in four seasons of Indian Premier League (IPL) and he has done well too. While evolving as one of the best death overs specialists, the speedster of the Punjab Kings has mastered in yorkers too. However, this was one of the main reasons that he has earned his call-up to the national side for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on June 9 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi as well. In a recent conversation with NDTV, Arshdeep has talked about his feelings after being added to the T20I squad as well.

“We were travelling in the team bus on Sunday when I got the message of being picked (in Indian T20I side), then I did not feel much on how to react as we were going for the game. Right now, I am feeling really good as congratulatory messages are still coming in and my family is also being congratulated. I am grateful after being picked in the squad,” Arshdeep Singh said. When he was asked how he prepares for every game, the young pacer said: “You always have butterflies in your stomach, no matter how much cricket you play. The excitement to play cricket is always there in a cricketer. But when you get the role clarity from your team, it makes things easier in terms of execution. I follow my routines and processes before each game and I try to make sure I do not miss them.”

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However, in the 2022 IPL season, the speedster picked up 10 wickets with an economy rate of 7.70 and an average of 38.50 as well. He might not have many wickets in his kitty, but how he managed to restrict the opponents in the death overs on his own by delivering yorkers with great accuracy was quite praiseworthy. Meanwhile, last year, he was added to India’s squad as a net bowler for the series against Sri Lanka in July. After some positive COVID-19 cases within the camp, he was included in the main squad, but he is yet to make his debut as well.

“Yorker is a delivery that you learn to perfect after bowling it ball after ball” – Arshdeep Singh

“I guess, it is all about repetition (on how he has managed to deliver yorkers on a consistent basis). Yorker is a delivery that you learn to perfect after bowling it ball after ball. It is based on how you feel on that day and how the wicket is. The credit goes to my bowling coach Jaswant Rai and also the bowling of PBKS– Damien Wright. They have worked a lot with me, before the match, Wright used to tell me that I should practice bowling yorkers with the wet ball as well because if dew comes in, then there are chances of missing the yorkers,” said Arshdeep Singh.

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“I want to work on my consistency. I want to be more consistent. Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey sir would be there, Rahul Dravid sir would be there, I will try to pick their brains and I will try to figure out in what mental state the player should be in. That experience of being in the squad was a very good experience. It was my first time travelling with the team. You always get to learn, you get to know about their mindset. I was always trying to pick their brains,” concluded Arshdeep Singh.