Team India pacer Arshdeep Singh's poor form in T20I cricket continued as he delivered another expensive spell in the series opener against New Zealand on Friday, January 27.
The Kiwis reached a decent total of 176/6 in the first T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi after losing the coin toss.
Finn Allen (35) hit a flurry of boundaries and gave a blazing start to the visitors' side by attacking Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh. However, a change in pace brought an end to his entertaining cameo as off-spinner Washington Sundar scalped him out in the fifth over.
Devon Conway (52) anchored the innings with a perfectly paced half-century to keep the scoring rate healthy. Daryl Mitchell (59* off 30 balls) played a match-defining knock and powered New Zealand to an above-par score of 176/6.
Arshdeep Singh was the victim of a vicious assault by Daryl Mitchell in the death overs. The young Indian left-arm pacer assisted him by delivering a no-ball of the first ball of the 20th over, which also went for a six.
Mitchell made things worse for the bowler by smashing a six off a free hit and accumulating 13 runs from a single delivery. He went on to score 27 runs off the over as Arshdeep finished with disappointing match figures of 4-0-51-1.
The runs leaked in the 20th over proved detrimental for the hosts as they eventually lost the match by 21 runs. Washington Sundar tried his best in the end in the company of tailenders, but the target was just out of reach.
Fans troll Arshdeep Singh for yet another poor performance in the 1st T20I vs New Zealand
Indian cricket fans were disappointed after witnessing a wayward bowling spell from Arshdeep on Friday. They trolled him brutally for his poor showing by sharing memes on social media platforms.
Here is a collection of the best reactions:
Do you think team management should drop Arshdeep Singh from playing XI? Sound off in the comments section.
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news