3 reasons why Arshdeep Singh's recent form is a big concern for India

Arshdeep Singh has emerged as one of the best T20 players for India in recent times. The left-arm seamer has impressed fans and critics with his ability to. Since his international debut in July 2022, he has taken 39 wickets in a career spanning 25 matches at an average of 18.28 and an economy rate of 8.50.

Singh had a brilliant campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. He was able to rise to the occasion and perform in the absence of senior pro Jasprit Bumrah. However, post the T20 World Cup, his performances have diminished a little. He has taken 10 wickets in 6 T20Is at an economy of 10.24.

Let's take a look at the 3 reasons why Arshdeep Singh's form is a huge concern for India.

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#1 Death bowling

Arshdeep Singh made it to the Indian team after becoming one of the best death bowlers in the Indian Premier League since 2019. The left-arm seamer has great control over his yorkers and knows how to mix up his line and lengths.

For the national team, his record at the death has been pretty impressive. He has taken 21 wickets in 29 death overs at an economy rate of 9.05 runs per over. If one takes into account that he is new to international cricket and has to face some of the best T20 batters, it is a pretty solid and reliable record over a significant sample size.

However, in the last 6 matches, he has conceded 9.81 runs per over in the final overs of the game. The disappointing thing is that he has bowled no balls regularly, giving the batters an opportunity to maximize their returns in the death overs.

Unfortunately, India's death bowling alternatives are not as good. Arshdeep Singh is certainly the second most talented Indian bowler in this phase of the game after Bumrah.

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#2 Powerplay bowling

Although the Indian team drafted Arshdeep Singh to improve the quality of the death bowling, he also managed to enhance their bowling in the first 6 overs. He has had an important role to play since Bumrah was ruled out of the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. He has a T20I powerplay record of 15 wickets at an average of 22 and an economy rate of 8.12.

Singh's most notable performance in the powerplay came against Pakistan in the group stage of the T20 World Cup. He got rid of star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and swayed the momentum in India's favor. Throughout the tournament, he was able to get some early movement on favorable pitches.

However, in the last 6 matches, Singh has looked extremely lackluster in the powerplay overs. He has conceded 89 runs in 8 overs and dismissed only 2 batters - allowing the opponent to run away with momentum from the start of the innings.

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#3 Lack of international-quality left-arm seamers in the domestic circuit

India do not have a lot of high-quality left-arm fast bowlers in their ranks at the IPL/SMAT level. Hence, it is essential that the management backs Arshdeep Singh and he repays their trust in the long run. T Natarajan and Khaleel Ahmed are the next best options.

Natarajan made his debut against Australia in 2020 after a very good season with the Sunrisers. However, injuries did not allow him to seal a spot in the playing XI. He is also not as multi-dimensional as Arshdeep Singh when it comes to T20 bowling. His economy rate was 9.44 in the IPL season last year, which is far from impressive.

Khaleel Ahmed made his T20I debut in 2018. Despite playing mostly against second and third string international teams, he only took 13 wickets in his 14 match career at an economy rate of 8.83. His best IPL season was only last year, and he will have to be a lot more consistent if he has to make a comeback in the national team.