Mumbai: Punjab Kings’ pace bowler Kagiso Rabada is mighty impressed with team-mate Arshdeep Singh’s death-overs bowling, saying that the 23-year-old lanky pacer has loads of talent and drive to make it big on the international stage.
Miserly bowling by Rabada and Arshdeep proved the turning point of the match as they went on to beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday night. In the 17th over, Arshdeep conceded only six runs, sending down a couple of yorkers pitched outside off-stump and full-length deliveries on the stumps as Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja could not get the ball to the boundary.
Arshdeep made things even more difficult in the 19th over, conceding only eight runs, again spearing in wide yorkers mixed with full-length deliveries wide on the stumps as MS Dhoni could manage only one boundary. That superb over brought down things to the final over with CSK needing an improbable 27 off six deliveries to win the match.
“I think Arshdeep has been the best death bowler in this competition. That’s what the stats say. He’s a youngster coming in. He’s got a lot of drive, a lot of ambition and he’s got talent as well. And he’s just a good bloke. So it’s nice to have him around,” said Rabada.
“I’ve always bowled at the death as well so I know I’m going to bowl at the death but Arsh has just been magnificent and been leading the way in that discipline. Everyone else knows their role,” he said.
Rabada also laid down the roles of others in the team and how everyone brought something to the table.
“Spinners bowl when they have to. Rahul (Chahar) is a key spinner for us. Sandeep (Sharma) has a lot of experience and he’s come in and got a wicket in the powerplay. Rishi (Dhawan) coming back and bowling that final over, he put his hand up,” Rabada added.
Rabada elaborated on the last-over nerves and Rishi Dhawan bowling to Dhoni. “It’s still a bit nerve-wracking when you’re bowling at MS Dhoni and there’s not one red shirt in the crowd, only yellow shirts chanting his name. I think it can be a bit nerve-wracking but he held his nerve and came out on top. So huge credit to him.”
The Punjab Kings posted a thrilling 11-run win in a game of swinging fortunes to complete the double against CSK. The team scored 187/4 riding on Shikhar Dhawan’s 88 not out (59) and successfully defended it with brilliant bowling from Arshdeep (4-0-23-1) and Rabada (4-0-23-2).
