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Arshdeep Singh has been a part of India's white-ball squads in recent times. However, he has been in and out of the playing XI, competing with the likes
of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna.
On Wednesday, January 21, India faced New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur in the first T20I in a five-match series. After India slammed a mammoth 238/7 on a flat deck, Arshdeep got the hosts off to an ideal start, as he dismissed Devon Conway off the second ball of the over.
On a surface where almost every batter was going hammer and tongs, Arshdeep managed to hold his own and finished with figures of 1/31 in four overs. After the match, the leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket for India said that he doesn't feel any pressure of consistently being in the playing XI. Instead, he looks to stay ready for when the opportunity comes calling.
“I try to be ready all the time. Whenever the team gives me a chance, I try to be ready and give my best. Few things are not in my hands, and I try to enjoy every game,” Arshdeep said in the post-match press conference, summing up his mindset amid frequent selection debates.
In a light-hearted revelation, Arshdeep said that he remembered his prayers before starting his spell, as there was nothing much on offer for the bowlers.
“First of all, I take God’s name. Wicket flat lag rahi hai bhagwanji, aaj thoda bacha lena (the wicket is looking flat God, please save me today)," Arshdeep added.
Earlier in the day, Abhishek Sharma slammed a blistering 84 off 35 balls at the top. Suryakumar Yadav (32), Hardik Pandya (25), and Rinku Singh (44*) chipped in with valuable contributions to take India to the formidable total.
In reply, Glenn Phillips' 78 off 40 balls gave New Zealand an outside chance of securing a dramatic win. However, once he was dismissed in the 14th over, things went downhill for the tourists. Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner did forge a 46-run stand towards the back end of the innings. However, the visitors were eventually restricted to 190/7.
