India's young pacer Arshdeep Singh achieved a significant milestone by clinching his 50th wicket in T20 Internationals during the side's impressive win in Dublin on Sunday, August 20. This notable achievement came during the 2nd T20I match against Ireland when he sent the in-form batter, Andrew Balbirnie, back to the pavilion.
Making this achievement even more impressive is the fact that Arshdeep Singh reached this milestone in just his 33rd T20I game, the fastest to this record. The performance eclipsed the record held by his skipper in the game Jasprit Bumrah, who took 41 matches to reach the 50-wicket mark.
However, Arshdeep finds himself second to spin maestro Kuldeep Yadav, who holds the top spot having reached the 50-wicket milestone in only 30 matches.
In this game, Arshdeep Singh's spell was marked with consistent spells of bowling. He was disciplined in his four-over quota, giving away only 29 runs and securing the wicket of Balbirnie, who was looking to accelerate in the closing stages of the game.
Here is the full list of the fastest Indian pacers to 50 T20I wickets
33 - Arshdeep Singh
41 - Jasprit Bumrah
50 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar
66 - Hardik Pandya
On the batting front, India showcased its prowess by putting up an imposing total of 186 runs. This was majorly attributed to commendable performances by Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube. The Indian bowlers complemented their batters well, with Prasidh Krishna striking early, dismantling Ireland's top order.
Despite Balbirnie's valiant 72-run knock off 51 deliveries, the lack of support from the rest of the Irish line-up meant that they ended their innings at 152/8 after 20 overs.
India's triumph in this match gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series. The pace trio of Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh played pivotal roles in dictating the tempo of the match. Bumrah, a seasoned campaigner, showcased his skills after returning from a long injury layoff, especially with a scintillating maiden-wicket over in the climax of the innings.
Amidst the pacers' dominance, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi made his mark during the middle overs. However, it was Arshdeep Singh's crucial dismissal of Balbirnie in the game's 16th over that remains one of the standout moments.
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